Four alumni pay tribute to program director Dennis Dirkmaat in journal article

Four Mercyhurst University alumni, all working at different universities and companies as forensic anthropologists, have had an article accepted in the scientific journal, Forensic Anthropology, about their mentor, Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat, chair of Applied Forensic Sciences at Mercyhurst.

“Forensic Anthropology is a scientific journal—the first one devoted exclusively to the field—and this kind of contribution focusing on highlighting a researcher, rather than presenting scientific research, is quite notable and a rare occurrence,” said Luis L. Cabo, director of Mercyhurst’s Forensic and Bioarchaeology Laboratory.

The authors are Rhian R. Dunn, Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, Andrea Zurek-Ost, Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Paige Lynch, Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, and Carrie Bohne Warren, HD Forensics, LLC.

The abstract introducing the article reads:

“Dennis C. Dirkmaat, PhD, D-ABFA, is an essential figure in the discipline of forensic anthropology. He has been committed to research, as evidenced by the grants he has been awarded regarding victim recovery and outdoor crime scene interpretation. He has mentored not only hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students in his role as chair of the Applied Forensic Sciences Department at Mercyhurst University, but also countless individuals in the medicolegal system who have attended his annual forensic anthropology short courses over the past 30 years.

“Furthermore, he has conducted nearly 1,000 forensic cases to date and has consistently maintained his stance on the importance of the role forensic anthropologists play in outdoor crime scene recovery. His work and motto of ‘question everything’ has surely influenced advances within the discipline of forensic anthropology, as well as encouraged his students to follow in his footsteps. Therefore, this article aims to provide insight into Dr. Dirkmaat’s life story and to present his achievements and convictions across his career.”

The article cites Dirkmaat’s many high-profile cases, including his role as primary scientific advisor to Somerset County Coroner Wallace Miller in the recovery and identification of remains from the 9/11 crash of United Flight 93 in Shanksville.

To date, the authors note, Dirkmaat has conducted nearly 1,000 forensic anthropology cases for more than 70 coroners, medical examiners, and law enforcement officers. He has participated as a primary forensic anthropologist with the U.S. government’s Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team, where he assisted with commercial plane crashes, train accidents, and natural disasters.

In 2021, he received unprecedented recognition from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences by earning both the T. Dale Stewart Award for Lifetime Achievement and its first-ever Outstanding Mentorship Award.

“We have all appreciated everything Dr. Dirkmaat has done for us as an advisor and knew the opportunity to write this article could help commemorate his mentorship and good deeds to the field for others to see,” said lead author Rhian Dunn.

PHOTO: Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat poses with the awards he received in 2021 from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.