UH West Oʻahu’s Belcher to serve on American Board of Forensic Anthropology

Dr. William Belcher documenting archaeological materials at the Honouliuli National Monument.

UH West Oʻahu Assistant Professor of Anthropology William R. Belcher has been elected to a three-year term as an at-large-director for the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, an organization that sets standards for forensic anthropologists.

Dr. Belcher is a board-certified forensic anthropologist.As a UH West Oʻahu faculty member, Dr. Belcher has led UH West Oʻahu students on projects excavating the Honouliuli Internment and POW camp in Kunia, and an excavation of a Japanese internment camp that held U.S. and British prisoners on Palau.

Prior to joining UH West Oʻahu, Belcher served as the deputy director of the Department of Defense’s Central Identification Laboratory and director of Department of Defense’s Forensic Science Academy.

Belcher also serves as the chair of the Anthropology Consensus Body of the Academy Standards Board, an organization dedicated to developing documentary standards for forensics.

The American Board of Forensic Anthropology is based in Washington, D.C., and was established 40 years ago to enhance standards and advance the science of forensic anthropology.  Forensic anthropologists use clues from skeletons in assisting medical examiners and coroners with a variety of cases.  Directors of the organization are elected by members.