Science Uncorked: Forensic Investigation Research Station

Christiane Baigent, Director of the Forensic Investigation Research Station at Colorado Mesa University presents about the sites and studies
About this Event

Friday, July 10th, 2026 from 6 pm to 8 pm

Science Uncorked: Forensic Investigation Research Station

Presented by Christiane Baigent

Forensic Anthropologist, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Forensic Investigation Research Station at Colorado Mesa University

Colorado Mesa University’s Forensic Investigation Research Station (FIRS) is composed of two sites, one in the high-elevation arid region of the Western Slope, and a satellite facility located in the high-altitude Colorado Rockies. The two sites constitute the highest elevated human decomposition facilities in the world. Come learn about the FIRS donor program, the unique research performed at our facilities, and the impact of our research on criminal investigation. *This presentation may contain cropped images of human decomposition and skeletal remains.

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Christiane Baigent is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Forensic Investigation Research Station at Colorado Mesa University. Her academic background is in Biological Anthropology with an emphasis in Forensic Anthropology. Her research focus is human decomposition and skeletal taphonomy in the high-altitude Rocky Mountain and high-elevation desert regions of Colorado. Her research and teaching interests extend more broadly into skeletal trauma and pathology, patterns of secular change in the skeleton, and cultural constructions of “race” and sex/gender in anthropological perspective. In addition to her teaching background, she has served as a medicolegal death investigator and is certified by the Colorado Coroner’s Association. She is a fellow of the Anthropology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and forensic anthropology consultant for Colorado coroners and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Timeline:

6pm to 6:30pm(ish): Guests arrive, grab wine, chat, and settle in

6:30pm to 7:30pm(ish): Presenter speaks

7:30pm to 8pm: Q&A, visiting, wrap up