Associate Professor of Anthropology

Education
Ph.D., Anthropology, University of Tennessee, 2001
M.A., Anthropology, Baylor University, 1994
B.A., Anthropology, Baylor University, 1993

Major Area of Research


Current Courses

• ANT          1305         Introduction to Anthropology
• ANT/FORS 3331         Human Osteology
• ANT          4314         Human Biological Variation
• ANT          4351         Futuristics
• ANT/FORS 4355         Forensic Anthropology
• ANT/FORS 4358/4359 Death, Injury and Physical Remains

Biography

Lori Baker is a physical anthropologist concentrating her research in the areas of molecular anthropology and osteology. Her research interests include ancient and modern human population variation, the Peopling of the Americas, forensic science and human rights. She has examined samples from sites throughout North, Central and South America, Siberia and is beginning work in Denmark.

Currently she is the director of Reuniting Families, an effort to identify and repatriate to families the remains of undocumented immigrants that die crossing the southern U.S. border. She has analyzed the DNA from 150 border cases that have resulted in over 36 identifications in the last three years. In this effort, she has partnered with the government of Mexico to perform DNA analysis of both unidentified individuals and families trying to locate a loved one for the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) database, Sistema de Identificación de Restos y Localización de Individuos (SIRLI).

Dr. Baker also performs forensic DNA and skeletal analysis for local, state and international agencies. In addition, Dr. Baker is currently analyzing the DNA from ancient human remains from sites in Honduras, Belize, Ecuador and Peru to examine the genetic diversity of the Americas as well as to answer localized population questions in each of these areas.

Selected Publications