Katherine Weisensee

Katherine Weisensee serves as Department Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice at Clemson University's College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. A biological anthropologist specializing in human skeletal biology, she leads research on forensic anthropology methods, craniofacial morphology, and human decomposition processes while providing consultation services to South Carolina law enforcement.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee (2008)
• M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee (2001)
• B.A. in Anthropology, cum laude with high honors, from Brandeis University (1999)

Dr. Weisensee's research program focuses on estimating time of death using the geoFOR application, examining craniofacial morphology changes over the past 200 years, and analyzing skeletal remains for law enforcement. Her work integrates quantitative methods to understand environmental impacts on human populations, with significant contributions to understanding craniofacial asymmetry as a socioeconomic marker and epidemiological transition effects on cranial morphology. She has published extensively on forensic anthropology methods and secular trends in human skeletal biology.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on human decomposition modeling through Bayesian approaches and the geoFOR database system, addressing critical challenges in postmortem interval estimation. Her work consistently bridges forensic science with anthropology while examining craniofacial morphology changes across populations and time periods, connecting biological anthropology with social determinants of health.

Her scientific achievements include:

• Clemson University of Health Research Faculty Scholar
• Clemson Thinks2 Faculty Scholar

Dr. Weisensee actively mentors students through Creative Inquiry projects, including the 'Examination of Death in Pickens County, SC' which creates a GIS database of death investigation records. She has developed innovative international field experiences in Rome and Hungary where students engage in human skeletal analysis and cultural anthropology. Her forensic anthropology consulting provides valuable service to South Carolina law enforcement agencies, assisting with identification of human remains through analysis of thousands of skeletal specimens.

She leads research initiatives utilizing the geoFOR application for postmortem interval prediction and maintains active collaborations through forensic anthropology workshops and international research projects. Her work connects classroom instruction with real-world forensic applications, creating a comprehensive educational experience for students interested in biological and forensic anthropology.