Karen Ramey Burns
Encyclopedia
Karen Ramey Burns is an American
forensic anthropologist
known for work in international human rights
. Her specialty is the recovery and identification of human remains in criminal, historical, archaeological, and disaster-related circumstances. She has worked on a number of high-profile cases, including the Raboteau Massacre and trial in Haiti, the Río Negro massacre
in Guatemala, victims of genocide
in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Amelia Earhart
search in Kiribati
, Fiji, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the identification of the Kazimierz Pułaski remains in Savannah, Georgia
, United States
. She is also active in international forensic training and teaches human osteology and forensic anthropology at the University of Utah
in Salt Lake City. She was a 2007-08 Fulbright Scholar at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, where she also works with EQUITAS, a non-governmental organization dedicated to helping families of disappeared persons due to the ongoing Colombian conflict.
Dr. Burns received her graduate education in forensic anthropology under the direction of the late Dr. William R. Maples
at the University of Florida
and developed experience in major crime laboratory procedures while working for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Division of Forensic Sciences. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
forensic anthropologist
Forensic anthropology
Forensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology and human osteology in a legal setting, most often in criminal cases where the victim's remains are in the advanced stages of decomposition. A forensic anthropologist can assist in the identification of deceased...
known for work in international human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. Her specialty is the recovery and identification of human remains in criminal, historical, archaeological, and disaster-related circumstances. She has worked on a number of high-profile cases, including the Raboteau Massacre and trial in Haiti, the Río Negro massacre
Río Negro Massacre
In 1978, in the face of civil war, the Guatemalan government proceeded with its economic development program, including the construction of the Chixoy hydroelectric dam. Financed in large part by the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, the Chixoy Dam was built in Rabinal, a region of...
in Guatemala, victims of genocide
Al-Anfal Campaign
The al-Anfal Campaign , also known as Operation Anfal or simply Anfal, was a genocidal campaign against the Kurdish people in Northern Iraq, led by the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein and headed by Ali Hassan al-Majid in the final stages of Iran-Iraq War...
in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
search in Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
, Fiji, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the identification of the Kazimierz Pułaski remains in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She is also active in international forensic training and teaches human osteology and forensic anthropology at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
in Salt Lake City. She was a 2007-08 Fulbright Scholar at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, where she also works with EQUITAS, a non-governmental organization dedicated to helping families of disappeared persons due to the ongoing Colombian conflict.
Dr. Burns received her graduate education in forensic anthropology under the direction of the late Dr. William R. Maples
William R. Maples
* Maples, William R. and Browning, Michael . Dead Men Do Tell Tales. Existe versión en español "Los muertos también hablan" -External links:* * *...
at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
and developed experience in major crime laboratory procedures while working for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Division of Forensic Sciences. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.