Our Mission

The Ellis R. Kerley Forensic Sciences Foundation works on behalf and at the direction of the Board of Directors to develop and encourage the science of anthropology while enhancing educational opportunities in the targeted university system through scholarship awards and enrichment programs for students who demonstrate, through academic excellence and leadership in their communities, their capacity for and commitment to making a difference in the field of forensic anthropology.

The personal and educational development of anthropology scholars and the contributions they make to the forensic field, their communities and educational institutions embodies the essence of the Foundation’s mission.

Dr. Kerley represents an important figure in the history of American forensic anthropology. In research, he is best known for pioneering the microscopic approach to the estimation of age at death from human bone. A university professor for 22 years, Kerley also served as Scientific Director of the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii and worked on many high profile forensic cases. He was a leader in the formation of the Physical Anthropology section of the AAFS and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and held many offices within the AAFS, including President from 1990 to 1991.