Alison Galloway facts for kids

Alison Galloway is an American forensic anthropologist. She works at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). Forensic anthropologists use science to study human bones. They help solve mysteries, like identifying people or understanding how injuries happened.

Dr. Galloway is well-known for her work in identifying human remains for important investigations. She has also helped write several books. These include The Evolving Female: A Life History Perspective and Broken Bones: Anthropological Analysis of Blunt Force Trauma. She also co-authored "Practicing Forensic Anthropology: an eResource."

From 2010 to 2016, Dr. Galloway held a big leadership role at UCSC. She was the executive vice chancellor. This means she helped manage the entire university. After that, she went back to teaching.

Becoming a Forensic Anthropologist

Alison Galloway studied anthropology in college. Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present.

Her College Years

• In 1975, she earned her first degree (BA) from the University of California, Berkeley. She focused on Archaeology, which is the study of human history through digging up old sites.
• She then went to the University of Arizona. In 1985, she earned her master's degree (MA) in anthropology. Her special focus was physical anthropology, which looks at human evolution and variation. She also specialized in forensic anthropology.
• She continued her studies at the University of Arizona. In 1988, she earned her PhD, which is the highest university degree. She studied physical anthropology, along with anatomy and physiology. Anatomy is the study of body parts, and physiology is how they work.

Her Career Journey

Dr. Galloway started her teaching career in 1988. She became a professor of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee.

Working at UCSC

• In 1990, she moved to the University of California, Santa Cruz. She became an associate professor there.
• By 2001, she was promoted to a full professor.
• She also joined the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team in 1996. This team helps identify people after big disasters. She worked as a forensic anthropologist for them.

Leadership Roles

Dr. Galloway took on many leadership roles at UCSC.

• She became a leader in the UCSC Academic Senate in 2001. This group helps make decisions about how the university runs.
• She was later appointed as vice provost of academic affairs. This role involves overseeing many parts of the university's teaching and research.
• In 2010, she became the executive vice chancellor. This is a very important leadership position. She helped lead the entire campus.
• She stepped down from this role in 2016. She then returned to teaching her students.

Professional Groups

Dr. Galloway has been an active member of many important professional groups. These groups help set standards and share knowledge in her field.

• She was part of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology.
• She was also a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. This is a group for experts in forensic science.
• She served on the editorial board for the Journal of Forensic Sciences. This means she helped decide which scientific papers got published.

Solving Mysteries with Science

Dr. Galloway is one of about 75 highly skilled forensic anthropologists in the United States. Police and other authorities often ask for her help. She helps them understand what happened in difficult cases. She has a special ability to handle tough situations.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Galloway has received several awards for her excellent work.

• In 2009, the San Jose Business Journal named her one of Silicon Valley's Women of Influence.
• She won the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1993–1994 from UCSC. This award recognized her great teaching skills.
• She also received student paper awards for her research. These include the Mildred Trotter Student Paper Award and the J. Lawrence Angel Forensic Anthropology Student Paper Award. These awards recognized her important research papers.

Important Contributions

Dr. Galloway has greatly helped the field of forensic anthropology. She has written many books and papers with other experts.

• She has studied how bodies decay in dry climates, like in Arizona. This helps forensic scientists estimate time of death.
• She has also stressed the importance of being consistent when estimating a person's height from their bones. This helps in finding missing people. She believes forensic reports should clearly state how height was estimated.