Ep. 11 Bones, Borders, and Brooks County: Dr. Timothy Gocha's Journey into Forensic Anthropology

Our guest this week is Dr. Timothy Gocha Ph.D. Tim is the Associate Director of the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University. On this episode of the Forensic Found Podcast, we will hear how Tim got into the field of forensic anthropology, his role at Texas State University and the groundbreaking Operation Identification program, featured in the movie Missing in Brooks County.

Operation Identification (OpID) aims to identify and repatriate unidentified human remains found along or in close proximity to the South Texas border through community outreach, scientific analysis, advocacy, and collaboration with governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Kat and Tim talk about their month spent as Visiting Scientists in the Anthropology Department at the New York City - OCME.  This unique opportunity took place with the largest medical examiner's office in the United States and accepts only a handful of participants each year. 

Tune into this week’s episode and learn more about Tim, how he discovered his passion for this field, and all about the work he does with Texas State University and the Operation Identification program!

Resources Mentioned:

Operation Identification

https://opid.wp.txstate.edu/ 

Missing in Brooks County

https://www.missinginbrookscounty.com/

Visiting Scientist program at NYC - OCME 

https://www.nyc.gov/site/ocme/services/visiting-scientist-opportunities.page


About Timothy Gocha

Tim Gocha is the Associate Director of the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University. Prior to this appointment, he was a forensic anthropologist in southern Nevada. He has assisted with victim recovery and/or identification from several mass fatality events including the deadliest hot air balloon crash in U.S. history, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, the deadliest wildfire in California history, as well as the ongoing humanitarian crisis of migrant deaths along the U.S./Mexico border.

Hit the follow button; it's time to thrive, not just survive!

Podcast + Newsletter sign up → www.forensicsfound.com/podcast 

Connect → mentor@forensicsfound.com 

Free Community → https://www.facebook.com/groups/471306163206486/ 

Paid Community (monthly calls and support)→ https://forensicsfound.thinkific.com/communities/Q29tbXVuaXR5LTM0NTA0 

Courses → www.forensicsfound.thinkific.com

FREE Life Kit for Death Investigators: learn the six most important skills needed to prevent burnout and maintain focus on the job and at home → www.forensicsfound.com/life-kit-ebook-opt-in

Connect on social!

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/ForensicsFoundMentor

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/forensics_found/ 

*All conversations between guest and host represent the opinions of the participants and do not reflect official statements or facts from any represented agencies.

Previous
Previous

Ep. 12 From Inside the Morgue with Erika Rigley and Raven Malcorvojic

Next
Next

Ep. 10 From Crime Scenes to Entrepreneurship: A Conversation with Detective Supervisor Kevin Reynolds