the community forensic lab.
The Community Forensic Anthropology Laboratory at the University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu focuses on bridging the gap between the medicolegal system and our communities in Hawaiʻi. We aim for our science to be transparent and accountable, rooted in social justice, and led by the needs of our communities. We believe in an expansive understanding of forensic stakeholders, and believe it is all of our kuleana (responsibility combined with obligation) to investigate pressing forensic issues in Hawaiʻi. Our lab includes faculty and student researchers, as well as community collaborators including missing persons advocates, community researchers, and members of the medicolegal community.
Project 01
Missing and Unidentified in Hawaiʻi
The Missing and Unidentified in Hawaiʻi project focuses on collecting accurate, community-driven information about people who have gone missing or unidentified across our state.
Our lab and our collaborators are creating an accessible database of missing and unidentified people which will allow for retrospective research for community and academic researchers into trends across our state including missing and murdered Native Hawaiian Women, Girls, and Māhū, socioeconomic and lifecourse experiences that contribute to risk of going missing or being unidentified and more.