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Liberal Arts & Sciences University of Florida

The responses to these FAQ (frequently asked questions) are the opinion of Dr. Stubblefield, CAPHIL director, and may not be shared by her colleagues and administrators at UF, or her colleagues in the forensic community.  These questions and responses may be updated without notice.  If you have a question that you think should be addressed here, please email us at poundlab@anthro.ufl.edu.

  • What is CAPHIL? CAPHIL, or the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory, is a forensic anthropology lab on the University of Florida campus.  It provides education, training, service, and research in forensic anthropology for undergraduate and graduate students and medical examiners throughout the state of Florida and elsewhere. 
  • What is forensic anthropology? Forensic anthropology is the analysis of skeletal remains that might be of interest to legal investigation.  We address whether a suspected item is bone, whether it’s human bone, and from there if the person can be identified from skeletal features, or if there are signs of damage to the bone that might be associated with a cause of death. 
  • Forensic anthropology promotes education in human biology, human variation, and forensic science, as students interested in the field, whether they enter it or go on to other biological sciences, will usually take human osteology, human anatomy, and an introductory forensic anthropology course, among other courses in anthropology, the sciences, and law.  These courses provide enough anatomical knowledge for a person to perhaps recognize when human bones are out of place and call attention to the situation or perhaps save themselves from being added to a private collection. 
  • Can a person be identified from the skeleton?  Doesn’t that require DNA analysis? In many cases, DNA analysis is the best tool for determining or confirming the identification of human remains.  When funding for DNA analysis is limited or delayed, the skeletal analysis will often refine search parameters for the later identification.  Depending on the completeness of the skeleton and the tools and expertise of the forensic anthropologist, indicators of sex, age, ancestry, stature, past and current health status, and recent physical trauma can be detected.
  • Are there many jobs for forensic anthropologists? Many forensic anthropologists work for universities in anthropology, forensic science, or anatomy programs.  Many of us also work for the military, providing identification for personnel missing in action.  There may be a few private practitioners (we know of one) contracting with state or similar level forensic laboratories. 
  • Is there a volunteer program at CAPHIL? Yes, please access the “Volunteering” tab on our website for information on eligibility and application procedures.
  • Who is eligible to volunteer? At this time we are only accepting UF undergraduates and graduate students for the volunteer role at CAPHIL.  We have accepted non-UF students in the past.
  • Can secondary (high/junior high school) students volunteer? No, we do not accept applicants under age 18.  This also applies to UF undergraduates who are below 18 years.  The supervisory responsibilities for minors are not a component of the CAPHIL standard operating procedures.
  • Does CAPHIL have an internship program? We do have an internship program, eligible to individuals with advanced osteology experience and strong professional references. Interns are usually accepted for summer, but contact Dr. Stubblefield at phoebes@ufl.edu to determine when and if she is accepting interns. Non-UF students are eligible. Interns not addressing a specific research interest of their own are trained in skeletal analysis using are donors. 
  • Are you accepting graduate students? Email Dr. Stubblefield at phoebes@ufl.edu and ask if she is accepting students for the next academic year. 
  • I understand that graduate school admission is competitive.  What qualities does Dr. Stubblefield look for in an applicant? Dr. Stubblefield prefers applicants with a master’s degree in hand.  Applicants who demonstrate participation in the forensic community by presentation at a regional or national conference, or publication in a related journal or similar medium, or who have received external funding for research, would be desirable at any institution.  Ability to describe a developed research program that can benefit from UF or CAPHIL resources is another strong feature. 
  • Why have a master’s degree?  I see that UF Anthropology accepts students without a master’s degree if they are pursuing the doctoral.  This is Dr. Stubblefield’s preference, based on her own experience and her observations of graduate student progress.  Yes, it is more expensive to pursue a master’s degree separately from the doctoral, but the experience gained is not negligible.  Expertise in human osteology is driven by experience, literally exposure to human variation.  Atlases (texts) are not useless, but the opportunity to be exposed to human skeletal variation, degrees of skeletal preservation in different environments, and variation in laboratory function and culture is a valuable component of professional development.  Taking human osteology once is not sufficient exposure, but many pre-master’s students will arrive with only that exposure, which can delay training into CAPHIL casework. 
  • So should I not apply if I don’t have a master’s degree? All applicants are considered. It’s up to you to consider the costs (e.g., fees, time and effort on forms, soliciting references).  Students are accepted into a graduate program, not only into the mentorship of one faculty person. 
  • What are CAPHIL resources that might benefit my research program? CAPHIL has a history of over 50 years of casefiles and relationships with medical examiners and forensic anthropologists throughout the state.  We have a growing donor skeletal collection featuring individuals who have consented to imaging, and in most cases destructive testing, of their remains.   We have a 3D modeling program featuring human and non-human remains.  Collaborations with colleagues in bioarchaeology, archaeology, and anatomy are available.  We are developing a digital archive of death certificates related to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (useful for those with an historical or medical anthropology bent, similar to the use of casefiles).
  • Does CAPHIL conduct any research collaborations? Yes, our closest collaborations are with the DeLeon and Prieto laboratories.  The DeLeon lab features work in primate morphometrics, while the Prieto lab explores material culture from lowland areas of Peru.  You can find information for these labs on our website.  Dr. Stubblefield collaborates with computer scientist Corey Toler-Franklin of Barnard university, to develop data networks involving the public records from 1920s Tulsa Oklahoma. We collaborate with the Florida Museum for access to a pXRF inorganic element analyzer.  Occasionally we support forensic casework for local ASPCA and NOAA personnel.  As mentioned below, CAPHIL also collaborates with our colleague, Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney at Florida Gulf Coast University.
  • What research is conducted on the forensic cases (remains) themselves?  By Florida statute 406.11(1)(b), no research may be conducted on forensic remains.  Forensic anthropologists in the state of Florida perform examinations on human remains at the will of the medical examiners. 
  • You have a skeletal donor program. Is there a decomposition facility? No, CAPHIL does not operate a decomposition facility.  We refer donors seeking that process to our associate Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney (hwalsh@fgcu.edu) at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, who manages the Buckingham Environmental Forensics Facility.