Arpad Alexander Vass (born August 30, 1959) is a forensic anthropologist. He formerly taught at the Law Enforcement Innovation Center, which is part of the University of Tennessee's Institute for Public Service.[2]

Personal life

Vass is the son of a Hungarian immigrant.[3] He grew up in Arlington, Virginia, where he graduated from Yorktown High School in 1977. He is married to Victoria Ann Longo.[1]

He formerly taught at the Law Enforcement Innovation Center, which is part of the University of Tennessee's Institute for Public Service.[4] For 23 years,[5] he worked as a research scientist within the Life Sciences Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory[6] until September 2012. Subsequently, he has been a part-time instructor at the National Forensic Academy in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and has offered various services in missing person cases.[7]

Education and research

In 1980, Vass obtained the Antarctic Exploration certification from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The following year, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Virginia Tech. In 1984, Vass earned a Medical Technology degree from Fairfax Hospital. He earned a Masters of Science degree in Forensic Science from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1989, and he obtained his PhD from the University of Tennessee in anthropology.[1][8]

In his work at the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility (ARF), Arpad Vass researched the processes involved in the decomposition of human remains. He isolated specific tissues of the human body and the species of bacteria that affect their decomposition.[9] He was particularly interested in using the chemicals released by a cadaver to determine the time since death[3] and how the detection of those chemicals could assist in locating remains.

Vass's research centered on a forensic science technique called decomposition odor analysis, or DOA, which he claims would help to identify the body vapors which emanate from a decomposing human body. A database of such vapors would in theory enable the Federal Bureau of Investigation's search teams and cadaver dogs (Human Remains Detection dogs) to detect the location of remains of human beings.[10] The database is a part of the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility.[11]

Vass claims without evidence that he is developing a forensic tool to help detect and uncover forensic cases.[12] Vass has put forward a proposal to search out human remains with the use of a fly with a tracking chip.[13] He has also claimed that dowsing rods can be used to find corpses.[7] Dr. Monte Miller of the UTK Forensic Anthropology Dept. has stated, "Most of us in the field believe Vass is making claims he cannot possibly back up with science."[14]

Selected publications

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Vass, Arpad A (August 1991). Time Since Death Determinations of Human Cadavers Utilizing Soil Solution (PDF) (Ph.D. thesis). University of Tennessee, Knoxville. OCLC 25539141. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  2. ^ Robertson, Susan (Spring 2018). "Hands On". Tennessee Alumnus. 98 (2): 35.
  3. ^ a b Smirnov, Alexei. "Top Ten Scientists". Business TN. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  4. ^ Robertson, Susan (2018-05-08). "Hands On". Our Tennessee. Archived from the original on 2024-07-20. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  5. ^ Taylor, Michelle (2022-02-16). "Adding Scat to the Missing Persons Identification Forensic Toolbox". Forensic: On the Scene and In the Lab. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  6. ^ Costner, Robert (2003-04-10). "Lunch/lecture by Arpad Vass". Fornlist (Mailing list). Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  7. ^ a b "He Trains Cops in "Witching" to Help Find Corpses. Experts Are Alarmed". Archived from the original on April 22, 2024.
  8. ^ Costner, Robert (April 10, 2003). "Lunch/lecture by Arpad Vass". Fornlist (Mailing list). Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference science was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Uncovering The Evidence". Review. 37 (1). Oak Ridge National Laboratory: 19. 2004. ISSN 0048-1262. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  11. ^ Vass, Arpad A; et al. (November 14, 2003). "Decompositional Odor Analysis Database - Phase 1" (PDF). ORNL.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  12. ^ Sachs, Jessica Snyder (January 7, 2003). "New Science for the Murder Victim Search". Popular Science. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011.
  13. ^ Goforth, Sarah (December 16, 2003). "Bodies and Bones: Where the bodies are". WhyFiles.org. Archived from the original on July 4, 2010.
  14. ^ https://forensicdnaexperts.com/about/
Allikas: Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arpad_Vass
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