Barbara O’Connell earned her doctorate in 1983 from Northwestern University. She currently is a professor and chair of the anthropology department at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Prior to this position, she was an associate professor of anthropology at Northwestern University. O’Connell is a biological anthropologist with a focus in forensic anthropology, in both prehistoric populations and current cases. Her work has taken her into analysis on skeletons destined for repatriation under the 1990 NAGPRA legislation.
In addition to her teaching and research career, O'Connell has appeared as an expert witness in court and assisted the police with investigations. She is a member of a consulting team which comprises medical examiners, law enforcement officers, dentists, and entomologists. The team focuses on identifying unknown victims and assisting the prosecution.
In 1996, O'Connell guided her medical anthropology class in research on patients with Lupus. As a result of the class, the students wrote the "Illness Narratives" which detailed the biological, social and emotional dimensions of coping with the chronic illness. The Lupus Foundation of Minnesota is interested in publishing the narratives as a resource for Lupus patients.
O'Connell has written, edited, and collaborated on an impressive number of publications. Among those are:
Archaeological Survey of Rice County, Minnesota (1985)
Archaeology and Bioarchaeology of the Northern Woodlands (1997)
Hamline Faculty Biographies. http://www.hamline.edu/cla/acad/depts_programs/anthropology/faculty_staff.html
Hart, Joseph. "Rule of the Bone." City Pages Volume 18 , Number 877. September 24, 1997. http://www.citypages.com/databank/18/877/article1780.asp
Minnesota Medical Association. "Appointment with Death." November 1998, Volume 81. http://www.mmaonline.net/publications/MnMed1998/November/Kalstrom.cfm
Written by: Students in an Introduction to Anthropology Class, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota 2003
Edited by: Emily Hildebrant, 2007