Real life CSI

MARLBOROUGH - The investigative dramas played out on forensic science-based television shows are some of the most popular on TV.

There is Forensic Files, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and even “Bones,” a show based on the life of a female forensic anthropologist, who solves crimes using evidence supplied by skeletal remains.

But which of these shows do you watch on TV if you are a real life forensic anthropologist, like former Marlborough resident Kristen Hartnett?

“I don't watch any of them,” Hartnett said, adding, “I do like `Law and Order.”'

Hartnett, however, does not have to watch television to see real life forensic drama.

After earning her PhD in anthropology in May 2007, she accepted the prestigious position of “Forensic Anthropologist for the New York City Chief Medical Examiner's Office.”

“I had originally been hired to do forensic case work and participate in the work at Ground Zero,” explained Hartnett.

However, since taking the job in New York City, Hartnett has been chosen to head up the current excavations at the World Trade Center site (Ground Zero) in New York City.

“I'm out there every day, Monday through Saturday, 7 to 7, directing excavations,” said Hartnett at an interview during a rare visit back to Marlborough.

In spite of the very long hours, Hartnett calls her job pretty close to a dream job.

Since stepping into the role of lead archaeologist at Ground Zero Hartnett said, “I don't get to do case work anymore, for right now.”

A 1995 graduate of Marlborough High School, Hartnett entered Cornell University with a double major in anthropology and archaeology, studying the ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, and later focusing on Mayan archaeology, excavating at an ancient Mayan site called Chan Chich in Belize.

During her last semester at Cornell, Hartnett took a Forensic Anthropology class.

“It was definitely an `aha' moment for me,” said Hartnett. “I knew I absolutely had to study this.”

After getting her bachelor's degree at Cornell, Hartnett headed for Arizona State University.

“ASU has one of the best Bioarchaeology programs in the country,” explained Hartnett.

At ASU, she tailored classes and her Master's thesis towards Forensic Anthropology, but continued doing Archaeology and Bioarchaeology work in Phoenix and Belize.

In addition to numerous archaeological excavations, Hartnett has worked in disaster response for DMORT (Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team) and was deployed as a Forensic Anthropologist to the Hurricane Katrina Disaster in New Orleans in 2005 and to the World Trade Center site in 2001.

“Disaster work put my skills to use in a real world situation,” said Hartnett.

Hartnett's doctoral dissertation examines the current standards that anthropologists use to estimate age at death in the adult skeleton from a joint in the hip and a joint in the rib.

“I enjoy forensic anthropology because I can apply my skills as an osteologist to both solving crimes and identifying unknown individuals. I am happy that I can use what I have learned in anthropology to help bring remains home to a family so that they can get closure, or figure out exactly what happened to a person so that a criminal can be brought to justice. It gives me a huge sense of accomplishment.”

Hartnett hopes to publish articles about this research and make her new age estimation standards available to other anthropologists.

“I also hope to continue re-testing these age standards while working at my new position in New York City,” she said.

At Marlborough High School, Hartnett was a member of the National Honor Society. She also was involved in soccer, basketball and tennis as well as drama for a “year or two.”

Hartnett credits Marlborough Public School teachers such as Bill Rigney, head of Marlborough High School Science department, and Romelle Baker-Jarvis, head of the C.I.T.Y. (Creative, Intelligent and Talented Youth) Kids program, as being inspirations to her.

Although she is a new resident in New York City, she has found and joined a co-ed soccer team.

In her “spare time” this fall, she will be teaching a class at Hunter College.

Kristen is the daughter of Rose Hartnett Veith of Marlborough, director of the Licensed Practical Nursing program at Assabet Valley Regional Technical School. Her father, Kevin Hartnett, lives in Japan. She has one sibling, a brother, Andrew Hartnett, who recently graduated from college.