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Forensic Anthropology Center
Department of Anthropology
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666
Phone: 512-245-1900
Fax: 512-245-6889
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Body Donation

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The gift of one’s body is an invaluable contribution to the education of forensic anthropologists and ultimately the advancement of science. The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State accepts body donations for scientific research purposes under the Universal Anatomical Gift Act. Your full body donation makes cutting edge research in forensic sciences and biological anthropology possible. Your gift supports scientific research, training, and professional education. The areas of research conducted with donated bodies will include
  • reconstructing the postmortem interval to determine time since death and related studies in human decomposition,
  • osteological research that advances knowledge in developing a biological profile (for example, age, sex, ancestry, and stature) and assisting in the  identification process, and,
  • advanced forensic analyses including human skeletal variation, trauma interpretation, and histological and chemical analyses of bone.
The overall aim of this type of research is to assist law enforcement agents and the medicolegal community in their investigations and to advance scientific knowledge in human decomposition, human skeletal variation, and osteological methods.

If you would like to will your body or the body of a deceased family member to the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State, please download and complete the appropriate form, discuss the form and your wishes with your family, and contact us with any questions you might have. If you would like more information about the program before you make a commitment to body donation, do not hesitate to contact us! Please send the completed forms to
Sophia Mavroudas
Coordinator, Forensic Anthropology Center
Texas State University - San Marcos
Department of Anthropology
601 University Drive ELA 232
San Marcos, TX 78666

 

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY TO DONATE AND THE DONATION PROCESS

Why should I donate my body and who benefits from whole body donations to FACTS?

Why should I request that friends and family make monetary donations in honor of the donor to FACTS?

Can I pre-register with FACTS Body Donation Program?

Is pre-registration with FACTS Body Donation Program necessary?

How do I register as a donor with the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State?

Can I change my mind after pre-registering?

Can I donate body parts or just the whole body?

What will happen at the time of my passing?

Who is eligible to donate their body?

What is the cost to the family?

Who is the legal Next of Kin?

What if I am in another state when death occurs?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL USES OF DONATED BODIES

How is my body or Next of Kin body used for research and education?

Can I specify the research I donate to?

Do you charge researchers or permit tissue brokering?

Are donor records confidential?

What happens to my body in the future?

Can I visit the body of my next of kin?