Christiane Baigent

Christiane Baigent is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Colorado Mesa University, joining the faculty in Fall 2024. She also serves as the Director Designate of the Forensic Investigation Research Station, where she leads research on human decomposition and skeletal taphonomy in high-altitude and high-elevation desert environments of Colorado.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Anthropology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• MSc in Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeological Sciences from University College London
• BA in Anthropology and Forensic Science from Metropolitan State University of Denver

Her research interests center on biological and forensic anthropology, with a strong focus on:

• Human decomposition in extreme environments
• Skeletal taphonomy
• Skeletal trauma and pathology
• Secular changes in skeletal morphology
• Critical analysis of race and sex/gender in anthropological contexts

She integrates research with teaching, offering courses such as Biological Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, and Death and Forensic Science.

Christiane Baigent is a Fellow of the Anthropology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, recognizing her professional contributions to the field.

She has professional experience as a medicolegal death investigator, is certified by the Colorado Coroner’s Association, and provides forensic anthropology consultation services to coroners and law enforcement agencies at local, state, and federal levels. She actively involves students in research and internship opportunities through the Forensic Investigation Research Station.

She is affiliated with the Forensic Investigation Research Station, a hands-on research facility at Colorado Mesa University dedicated to forensic science training and decomposition studies.