Lectures and Workshops

I am very experienced at presenting and delivering workshops and activities to adults, lay people, journalists and school children of all ages.

This is a small selection of the sorts of lectures and workshops I can provide:

The Scent of Death
An engaging, interactive lecture or workshop where the audience get up close and personal with decomposition (graphic images). I describe the research undertaken at the University of Huddersfield's Forensic Anthropology Group into the different chemicals given off by a cadaver as it decomposes. You can smell for yourself some of the more surprising and interesting chemicals isolated from decomposition, if you dare! Perfect for adult audiences from 10 to 500, or school groups of up to 50.

Human Taphonomy Facilities or "Body Farms" 
This highly illustrated talk (graphic images) describes the unique outdoor forensic laboratories known colloquially as 'Body Farms' in the USA and Australia, and discusses how the research that has been conducted at them has helped criminal investigations. It details how there isn't a similar facility in the UK or Europe, and explores the reasons for and against them, and discusses public opinion towards them, in order to stimulate healthy debate.

What is Forensic Anthropology? or A Whistle-stop Tour of Forensic Anthropology
This workshop describes the questions Forensic Anthropologists are called upon to answer in a criminal investigation, discusses where Forensic Anthropologists are useful, what they actually do, and looks at some cases in detail. This can also include hands-on practical sessions with animal bones and human bone replicas.

Decay and Decomposition
This highly illustrated talk (graphic images) details the stages of decomposition, decomposition in different environments, factors that affect decomposition, the use of cadaver dogs, and some detailed case studies. Can be interactive with decomposition scents. Not for the faint-hearted!

What is Anthropology?
An engaging, interactive, discussion-based workshop covering topics such as 'what makes us human?' and challenging views about gender, marriage, kinship and ritual. It also discusses the anthropology of language and linguistics, art (including body art) and modern commercial anthropology.

Forensic Environmental Evidence
This highly illustrated talk covers areas of forensic environmental evidence such as pollen analysis, soil analysis, botany and diatoms, and discusses some famous cases where such evidence has been used to obtain convictions.

Forensic Science in Archaeology
This highly illustrated talk covers the use of forensic techniques to answer famous archaeological mysteries such as that of Tutankhamun, or describe the events leading to the death of Lindow Man.

So You Want To Be A Forensic Anthropologist?
This is aimed at A'level/BTEC students, school leavers or people interested in pursuing Forensic Anthropology as a career. Q&A session about careers, top tips and other nuggets of information that can help students make the most of their applications and skills.

Disaster Victim Identification
If there is a plane or train crash, how are all the victims identified? How does it happen, and who gets involved? What kind of information do they use? What are the sorts of problems the scientists and management teams face?

Forensic Anthropology and the Media
How accurate is the TV portrayal of Forensic Anthropology? I use my knowledge and experience of advising TV shows like Silent Witness and Bones to show how realistic this type of program is, and what Forensic Anthropologists can learn from them.

If you are interested in booking me to give a talk or run an activity, please contact me to discuss details at awilliams34@uclan.ac.uk 


I've done adult outreach events at:

Royal Institution
Royal Society
Edinburgh International Science Festival
St Bart's Pathology Museum
National Media Museum
Café Scientifique
British Science Festival
Otley Science Festival
Huddersfield and District Archaeological Society
Archaeology in Marlow
South Oxfordshire Archaeology Group
Henley Rotary Club
Maidenhead Archaeological and Historical Society

I've done school outreach events at:

Greenhead College
The Read School
Saltash Community School
Prior Park School
Wallingford School
Sheffield College
Calder High School
Horizon Community College
Barnsley College
Sir James Henderson British School

I'm a Scientist (Forensic Zone winner, June 2011) You can read my profile here.

Please contact me if you would like to find out more or book an event.