Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome explained

The Baroness Black of Strome
Office:Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Term Start:17 May 2021
Life Peerage
Birth Name:Susan Margaret Gunn
Birth Date:7 May 1961[1]
Birth Place:Inverness, Scotland
Party:None (crossbencher)
Nationality:British
Module:
Embed:yes
Thesis Title:Identification from the Human Skeleton
Thesis Year:1986
Honorific Prefix:The Right Honourable

Susan Margaret Black, Baroness Black of Strome, (Gunn; born 7 May 1961) is a Scottish forensic anthropologist, anatomist and academic.[2] She was the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Engagement at Lancaster University[3] and is past President of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.[4] From 2003 to 2018 she was Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at the University of Dundee. She is President of St John's College, Oxford.[5]

She was inducted to the Order of the Thistle in Edinburgh on 3 July 2024.[6]

Education

Sue Black was born in Inverness and educated at Inverness Royal Academy.[7] She attended the University of Aberdeen where she graduated with a BSc degree with honours in human anatomy in 1982, and a PhD degree for her thesis on 'Identification from the Human Skeleton' in 1986.[8] [9]

Career and research

In 1987 she was appointed a lecturer in Anatomy at St Thomas' Hospital, London, which started her career in forensic anthropology, serving in this role until 1992.[10]

Between 1992 and 2003 she undertook contract work variously for UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the United Nations involving the identification of victims and perpetrators of various conflicts. In 1999, she became the lead forensic anthropologist to the British Forensic Team in Kosovo, deployed by the FCO on behalf of the United Nations and later that year deployed to Sierra Leone and Grenada.[11]

In 2003 she undertook two tours to Iraq. In 2005 she participated in the United Kingdom's contribution to the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification operation (jointly led by the Thai and Australian Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams) as part of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami international response.[12]

In 2003 Black was appointed Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at the University of Dundee.[13] [14] [15] [16] [17] In 2005, she created the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee (CAHID),[18] which runs undergraduate courses in forensic anthropology and postgraduate courses in anatomy and advanced forensic anthropology.[19] Her department trained the UK National Disaster Victim Identification (UK DVI) team for police and scientists in advanced mortuary practices.[20]

Black has been an innovator in developing techniques and building databases to confirm or disconfirm someone's identity based on photographs of their hands or arms. This technique has become important for the prosecution of paedophiles, who often take and share photographs of their actions. In 2009, Black used vein pattern analysis to confirm the identity of a suspected child abuser, who then pleaded guilty. It was the first time that the technique was used in a criminal conviction.[11] [21]

Black was a Director of the Centre for International Forensic Assistance[22] [23] and a founder of the British Association for Human Identification[24] and the British Association for Forensic Anthropology.

In June 2018, Black left Dundee for Lancaster University, where she had been appointed pro-vice-chancellor for engagement.[25] [26] On 23 July 2021, it was announced that she had been elected the next President of St John's College, Oxford.[5]

Black features in a larger-than-life portrait by Ken Currie titled Unknown Man which hangs in the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.[27]

Personal life

Black married Tom with whom she was at school and university.[28] The couple have three daughters[29]

Black is patron of a number of charities including Locate International, Escape2Make and Archaeology Scotland.

Publications

Black has authored and co-authored numerous works including:

Media

Black starred in BBC Two's History Cold Case, which aired two series between 2010 and 2011.[44] [45] In February 2013, she was assessed as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the UK by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour[46] and in 2014 was also subject of The Life Scientific on the same station. In 2014, she appeared in the documentary "After the Wave: Ten years since the Boxing Day Tsunami" examining the forensic response in Thailand to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

In October 2015, Black was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Her choices included The Corries, Glenn Miller, Gerry Rafferty, Dire Straits and Cher. Her favourite was "Highland Cathedral" by Lathallan School.[47] In July 2018 Black was the guest on BBC's Hard Talk.[48]

Black delivered the 2022 series of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, with the title "Secrets of Forensic Science".[49]

Awards and honours

Black was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) in 2005,[50] a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. In 2008 she was awarded the Lucy Mair Medal from the Royal Anthropological Institute.[51] and a police commendation for DVI training. In 2009 she was awarded the University of Aberdeen's Brian Cox Award for Public Engagement.[52] [53]

Black and her team at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification were awarded the University of Dundee's Stephen Fry Award for Public Engagement with Research in 2012[54] and the Queen's Anniversary Award for Higher Education in 2013[55] [56] and in May 2014, she was awarded a prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award for her research into identification from the hand.[57]

In 2001 Black was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to forensic anthropology in Kosovo. She was promoted to Dame Commander of the same Order (DBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to forensic anthropology.

In 2017 Black was presented with an honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine by University of St Andrews for her contribution to science and humanity. She received an honorary Doctorate of Science (DSc) from the University of Aberdeen in 2019, at a ceremony in which her daughter graduated in law.[58] [59] In 2018 her book All That Remains: A Life in Death won the Saltire Book of the Year award.[60]

In 2021 she entered the House of Lords as a crossbencher peer,[61] after she was created a Life Peer on 26 April 2021 by the title of Baroness Black of Strome, of Strome in the County of Ross-shire.[62]

In 2023, Black was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).[63]

In 2024, Baroness Black was appointed as a Lady Companion of the Order of the Thistle (LT) by King Charles III.[64]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BLACK, Prof. Susan Margaret (Sue). Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press. December 2012. 12 June 2016.
  2. Web site: Contact information for Baroness Black of Strome - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210427085351/https://members.parliament.uk/member/4915/contact. 2021-04-27. 2021-06-05. members.parliament.uk. en.
  3. Web site: World-renowned forensic anthropologist joins Lancaster leadership team. Lancaster University. 30 January 2018. 26 January 2018.
  4. Web site: Council. Royal Anthropological Institute.
  5. Web site: Professor Dame Sue Black appointed next President . . 23 July 2021 . News . . 23 July 2021 .
  6. Web site: Royal Week 2024 . 3 July 2024 . Royal UK.
  7. Web site: Professor Sue Black OBE. BBC Radio 4 official website. British Broadcasting Company. 18 January 2015.
  8. Web site: Profile—Prof Sue Black, PhD. AcademiaNet. 19 January 2015.
  9. Larissa Kennel and Jo Raggett . 2013 . Interview with Professor Sue Black . 19 January 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150118214209/http://cahid.dundee.ac.uk/news/interview-prof-sue-black . 18 January 2015 . Dundee, Scotland . University of Dundee. Alt URL
  10. Web site: Bindel. Julie. The Bone Detective. The Guardian official website. 19 January 2015. London. 30 April 2008.
  11. Book: McDermid . Val . Forensics : what bugs, burns, prints, DNA, and more tell us about crime . 2015 . Grove Press . New York . 978-0802125156 . 166–186 .
  12. Amanda Blue. 14 December 2014. After the Wave: Ten years since the Boxing Day Tsunami. DVB. Flaming Star Films. ISAN 0000-0003-E52D-0000-W-0000-0000-F.
  13. Web site: The Life Scientific—Sue Black, 25 February 2014. BBC Radio 4. British Broadcasting Company. 15 January 2015. 25 February 2014.
  14. 10.1002/ajpa.20946. Sex determination from the occipital condyle: Discriminant function analysis in an Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century British sample. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 138. 4. 2009. Gapert. R.. Black. S.. Last. J.. 384–394. 18924165.
  15. 16078477. 2005. Schaefer. M.C.. Comparison of ages of epiphyseal union in North American and Bosnian skeletal material. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 50. 4. 777–84. Black. S.M.. 10.1520/JFS2004497.
  16. 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00875.x. Anthropological Measurement of Lower Limb and Foot Bones Using Multi-Detector Computed Tomography. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2008. Robinson. C.. Eisma. R.. Morgan. B.. Jeffery. A.. Graham. E.A.M.. Black. S.. Rutty. G.N.. 53. 6. 1289–1295. 18798776. 37226316.
  17. 16163991. 2005. Pryde. F.R.. Anatomy in Scotland: 20 years of change. Scottish Medical Journal. 50. 3. 96–98. Black. S.M.. 10.1177/003693300505000302. 10820992.
  18. Web site: Professor Sue Black. University of Dundee Principal's Office. University of Dundee. 18 January 2015. Dundee, Scotland. 18 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150118201950/http://www.dundee.ac.uk/principalsoffice/principalofficers/biographies/professorsueblack/. dead.
  19. Web site: Courses. Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification official website. University of Dundee. 19 January 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150118204015/http://cahid.dundee.ac.uk/courses. 18 January 2015.
  20. Web site: DVI training. Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification. University of Dundee. 19 January 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150118200923/http://cahid.dundee.ac.uk/courses/cpd-courses/dvi-training. 18 January 2015.
  21. Benson . Richard . To catch a paedophile, you only need to look at their hands . 12 April 2022 . Wired UK . 20 September 2017.
  22. Web site: Centre for International Forensic Assistance . CIFA . 2003 . 16 June 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111003083736/http://www.cifa.ac/ . 3 October 2011 .
  23. Book: Tim Thompson. Sue Black. Forensic Human Identification: An Introduction. 18 October 2012. 14 November 2006. Taylor & Francis. 978-0-8493-3954-7. 384–.
  24. Web site: About Us. BAHID official website. British Association for Human Identification. 18 January 2015. In August of 2001 a small group of experts (led by Peter Vanezis the first President of the Association and Sue Black, the first Secretary)..
  25. Web site: Professor Dame Sue Black OBE leaving . Department of Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgery . University of Dundee . 25 July 2021.
  26. Web site: University Leadership: Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Engagement) . Lancaster University . 25 July 2021 . en.
  27. Web site: Unknown Man .
  28. Web site: Professor Dame Sue Black on why 'Death may be the best experience of your entire life'. 21 April 2018. The Herald.
  29. Web site: Anatomist professor Sue Black: 10 things that changed my life. 3 February 2019. The National.
  30. Book: Sue M. Black. W. Alastair Chambers . Essential Anatomy for Anesthesia. 1997. Churchill Livingstone. New York. 9780443050541.
  31. Book: Louise Scheuer. Sue M. Black. Developmental Juvenile Osteology. 2000. Academic Press. San Diego, California. 9780126240009.
  32. Book: Louise Scheuer. Sue M. Black. The Juvenile Skeleton. 2004. Elsevier Academic Press. London. 9780121028213.
  33. Book: Maureen Schaefer. Louise Scheuer. Sue M. Black. Juvenile Osteology: A Laboratory and Field Manual. 2009. Academic. London. 9780123746351.
  34. Book: Patrick S. Randolph-Quinney. Xanthe Mallett. Sue M. Black. Jamieson. Allan. Moenssens. Andre A.. Wiley Encyclopaedia of Forensic Sciences. 2009. Wiley. Chichester, West Sussex. 9780470018262. Forensic Anthropology.
  35. Book: Sue M. Black. Graham Walker. Lucina Hackman. Clive Brooks. Disaster Victim Identification: The Practitioner's Guide. 2010. Dundee University Press. Dundee. 9781845860363.
  36. C. A. Cunningham. S. M. Black. The Neonatal Ilium—Metaphyseal drivers and neurovascular passengers. Anatomical Record. 2010. 293. 8. 1297–1309. 10.1002/ar.21182. 20665808. free.
  37. L. Hackman. Sue M. Black. Applying Virtual ID. Police Professional. 2010. 220. 16–18.
  38. Book: Sue M. Black. Anil Aggrawal. Jason Payne-James. Age Estimation in the Living: The Practitioners Guide. 2011. John Wiley & Sons Inc. Chichester. 9780470669785.
  39. Book: Sue M. Black. Disaster Victim Identification: Experience and Practice. 2011. CRC Press. Boca Raton, Florida. 9781420094121.
  40. Book: Sue M Black. Eilidh Ferguson. Forensic Anthropology: 2000 to 2010. 2011. CRC Press. Boca Raton, Florida. 9781439845882.
  41. Web site: Desmond de Silva. Geoffrey Nice. David M. Crane. Stuart J Hamilton. Susan Black. Stephen Cole. A Report Into the Credibility of Certain Evidence with Regard to Torture and Execution of Persons Incarcerated by the Current Syrian Regime. France at the United Nations. Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York. 18 January 2015. 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140724051105/http://franceonu.org/IMG/pdf/syria-report-execution-tort.pdf. 24 July 2014.
  42. Book: Sue M. Black. All That Remains: A Life in Death. 2018. Doubleday. UK. 978-0857524928.
  43. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0857526901/ publisher—Doubleday
  44. Web site: Ipswich Man . BBC . . 2010 . 16 June 2011.
  45. Web site: Professor Sue Black. Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification official website. University of Dundee. 18 January 2015. 18 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150118212620/http://cahid.dundee.ac.uk/staff/sue-black. dead.
  46. Web site: "Professor Sue Black OBE" at BBC Radio 4, Woman's Hour Power list.
  47. Web site: BBC Radio 4—Desert Island Discs, Professor Sue Black . Bbc.co.uk . 23 October 2015. 31 October 2015.
  48. Web site: BBC World News - HARDtalk, Sue Black.
  49. Web site: 2022 Christmas Lectures. Royal Institution . 16 December 2022 . en.
  50. News: Professor Dame Sue Black DBE, FRSE—The Royal Society of Edinburgh. The Royal Society of Edinburgh. 18 December 2017. en-GB.
  51. Web site: Lucy Mair Medal Prior Recipients. Royal Anthropological Institute official website. Royal Anthropological Institute. 19 January 2015.
  52. Web site: Honours and Awards. College of Life Sciences official website. University of Dundee. 19 January 2015.
  53. Web site: The paradigm shift for UK forensic science—further discussion. Royal Society official website. Royal Society. 19 January 2015.
  54. Web site: Public Engagement Awards. University of Dundee official website. University of Dundee. 19 January 2015. 2014. The Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification were awarded the 2012 Stephen Fry Award for Excellence in Public Engagement with Research. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150118201324/http://www.dundee.ac.uk/revealingresearch/newsandevents/peawards/stephenfry/. 18 January 2015.
  55. Web site: Queen's Anniversary Prize. University of Dundee official website. University of Dundee. 19 January 2015. 2013.
  56. Web site: The Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education—Previous Prize Winners. The Royal Anniversary Trust official website. The Royal Anniversary Trust. 19 January 2015. 2013.
  57. Web site: Royal Society announces new round of esteemed Wolfson Research Merit Awards. Royal Society official website. Royal Society. 19 January 2015. London. 9 May 2014. Professor Sue Black—University of Dundee, The new biometric—your life in your hands.
  58. News: Aberdeen University graduations: Dame Sue's joy on special occasion . Evening Express . 19 June 2019.
  59. News: Family delight for law graduate Anna and Dame Sue Black . 19 June 2019.
  60. News: Forensic scientist wins book award . 3 December 2018 . BBC News . 30 November 2018.
  61. Web site: Gleaves. Sean. 2021-04-24. Lancaster Professor Dame Sue Black appointed to the House of Lords. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210225114418/https://www.lep.co.uk/news/politics/lancaster-professor-dame-sue-black-appointed-to-the-house-of-lords-3145883. 2021-02-25. 2021-06-05. Lancashire Post. en.
  62. Web site: Crown Office The Gazette. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210605042733/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3792111. 2021-06-05. 2021-06-05. thegazette.co.uk.
  63. Web site: Sue Black . 2023-05-14 . royalsociety.org.
  64. Majesty Magazine . MajestyMagazine . 1766584836427268227 . New appointments to the Order of the Thistle.

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