University of West Florida graduate student Phoenix Farnham was selected from 135 applicants nationwide as one of only six students chosen for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s first-ever paid internship program.
- “This really speaks highly of Phoenix’s world as well as the commitment of Dr. Allysha Winburn and the rest of our Anthropology faculty,” said Dr. David Earle, dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. “This is a perfect example of how we train students for competitive professions.”
A Mission of Honor
The internship took place at the DPAA’s laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, where Farnham spent the summer collecting data for her master’s thesis on the resolution of commingling — the intermixing of human remains. Farnham’s research contributed to the agency’s ongoing mission of recovering and identifying fallen U.S. service members from past conflicts.
Farnham was able to sharpen several skills, such as interpreting skeletal trauma and working with large, commingled assemblages, exploring methods to help with the resolution of difficult cases. She also gained experience with new skills such as evidence intake, DNA sampling, X-ray analyses and photography. Professionals from outside of the discipline, such as historians, life-support investigators, odontologists and case coordinators, were brought in to help the interns understand how their knowledge, alongside anthropology, helps the mission come together.
“I feel so lucky to have participated in this internship and contributed to the DPAA mission,” Farnham said. “The experience was unique to each intern, allowing me to blend my interests with the goals of the lab. Because of this, my mentors and I had the ability to curate my daily tasks and interact with individuals that broadened my knowledge of forensic anthropology, while simultaneously gaining exposure to working in an accredited laboratory and collaborating with a variety of individuals.”
- In recognition of her contributions, Farnham was presented with a challenge coin—a military tradition that recognizes outstanding achievement and serves as a token of respect. In the military and government service communities, receiving a challenge coin is considered a high honor.
“It is difficult to put into words what this opportunity has meant to me, but simply put, I feel incredibly blessed,” Farnham said. “The DPAA’s mission is quite powerful, and the idea of helping these families by accounting for the remains of their loved ones resonates deeply with me.”
DPAA
The DPAA is the world’s largest forensic anthropology laboratory and works to identify the remains of U.S. service members who have died in past conflicts. This internship program marks a significant step for the Department of Defense, as it is the first time in the agency’s history that paid internships have been offered to students.
“The DPAA is one of our discipline’s flagship institutions,” said Dr. Allysha Winburn, associate professor of anthropology. “Generations of forensic anthropologists have learned their trade while contributing to this important mission. I couldn’t be prouder of the fact that Phoenix is now among them, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the honor.”
For more information on UWF’s Department of Anthropology and its research initiatives, visit uwf.edu/anthropology.