A world where the dead are treated with dignity—and the living are not left without answers.
Humanitarian Forensics at ASU brings science into service of humanity. We work at the intersection of forensic science, human rights, and community care to support truth, accountability, and healing in the aftermath of mass violence, disaster, and migration.
Why our work matters
Across the world, families are searching for answers. Communities are navigating loss without closure. Systems often fail to prioritize dignity.
We believe:
Disappearance should never be normalized
Every person deserves to be treated with dignity in death
Families deserve truth, care, and justice
Our work helps create more humane responses to mass death—grounded in science, guided by ethics, and shaped by communities.
“Legendary U.S. anthropologist Dr. Clyde Snow sets out to train a new group of Latin American students in the use of forensic anthropology. Their goal: to investigate disappearances in Argentina during the “dirty war.” The group expands its horizons, traveling to El Salvador, Bolivia, and Mexico, doggedly working behind the scenes to establish the facts for the families of the victims.”
“The doll’s funeral” illustrates the emotional journey of a mother visiting the place where her daughter, who disappeared during the conflict, was last seen. Like many mothers who have lost their loved ones due to the conflict, she must cope with the idea of never seeing her daughter again. Back in the village, the family performs the final rites, which help them to complete the mourning process.”
“When a Chilean court assigned investigative Judge Juan Guzman the first criminal cases against former dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998, the odds were against prosecutions ever going forward. Not only is it difficult to prove crimes like kidnapping, torture and murder against a nation’s leader, but Judge Guzman supported the bloody coup that toppled Allende’s government and brought the repressive General Pinochet to power. The Judge and The General is a detective story, a tale of horror and heroism, redemption and transformation. The film follows Judge Guzman as he uncovers truths long hidden in the graves of the innocent. As he descends into what he calls “the abyss” of Pinochet’s crimes, Guzman also discovers the truths of his own heart.”
Kim, J. J., and T. R. Hepner. 2026. “Spirits, Land, and Bones: The Social Ecology of Forensic Intervention.” American Anthropologist 128, no. 1: 97–107. https://doi.org/10.1111/aman.70050
2026 S.C. Fox. “A humanitarian forensic assessment of the management of the dead in Arizona.” Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Poster Session at the 78th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Feb. 10, 2026. New Orleans, Louisiana.
2023 S.C. Fox and A. Jugo. “Management of deceased migrants: Standardization of data collected and centralization of databases toward helping families find their loved ones. American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Feb. 16, 2023. Orlando, Florida.
2022 S.C. Fox “International humanitarian law and management of the dead in war.” Nesime Okboy Yayci Commemorative Meeting III, Marmara University, Istanbul, Türkiye. March 8, 2022.
2022 S.C. Fox. “Recent migrant drowning deaths in the Balkans.” American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Feb. 24, 2022. Seattle, Washington.
2021 S.C. Fox and A. Jugo. “Western Balkans 2021 forensic update: Current activities and challenges.” Balkan Academy of Forensic Sciences. Aug. 25, 2021. Istanbul, Türkiye.
2021 S.C. Fox, N.K Agrawal, E. Bruenisholz, L. Clegg, M.E. Gunce Eskikoy, S. Gurung, J.l. Hughes, M.I.M. Khan, C. Katzmarzyk, L.S. Khoo, U. Krenzer, A. Starkie. “Management of the dead after disasters from aquatic environments in the Asia and Pacific region.” American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Feb. 18, 2021, virtual.
2020 S.C. Fox, L. Clegg, L.S. Khoo, R. Shrestha, A. Starkie, and P. Woharndee. “What happens to unidentified or unclaimed human remains within the contexts of five Asian medico-legal systems?” American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Feb. 20, 2020. Anaheim, California.
Epidemiology + social determinants of health + structural determinants of health
Preventable deaths - heat-related deaths, infectious-disease epidemics, poverty-concentrated conditions, etc.
Clustering of preventable deaths along structural, social, and environmental intersectional axes.
Dissertation: 2025 S. Fatula “Investigating Mortality Disparity Attributed to Intersectional Heterogeneity during Epidemiological Transitions within Documented Skeletal Collectios” [Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Tennessee]. Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange (TRACE) repository. https://trace.tennessee.edu/entities/publication/bcb0b115-db7a-43e5-8517-b59c75728803
