MSU’s Goliath receives national Mosaic Award celebrating forensic advocacy
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State forensic anthropologist Jesse R. Goliath is the 2026 recipient of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Community Connections Mosaic Award, a national honor recognizing those who advance advocacy and positive change in the forensic sciences.
The annual Mosaic Award celebrates outstanding contributions that strengthen community and belonging within forensic teams and research groups. Goliath, AAFS Anthropology Section Fellow, will receive the honor during the Academy’s 2026 Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, in February.
An assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Goliath’s research focuses on supporting marginalized populations and improving outcomes for missing and unidentified persons, particularly in underserved regions of the rural South.
“Jesse’s work embodies exactly what this award stands for,” said Rick Travis, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “When you look at the purpose of the Mosaic Award—recognizing those who create positive change and ensure every voice is valued—you see Jesse at the center of that mission. He has been a blessing to this state and university.”
Goliath said, “This award is meaningful because it highlights the importance of advocacy in forensic science and acknowledges the responsibility we have to the populations we serve. Much of our casework involves marginalized communities. Advocacy, collaboration and cultural understanding are essential if we want to bring answers to families and improve the way our field supports the public.”
Since joining MSU’s faculty in 2021, Goliath has become one of the Magnolia State’s leading voices in forensic advocacy. He is MSU’s first AAFS Fellow and among only a few fellows across Mississippi. His scholarship includes coauthored research on activism in forensic anthropology published in the international journal “Humans,” where he and colleagues argue for increased attention to justice and community needs within the discipline.
Goliath also is the founding director of the Mississippi Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons, a searchable statewide database with a public access portal available at www.missinginms.msstate.edu. The online repository features public case information, biological profiles and tools to help families, while law enforcement and forensic specialists use the database to work toward identification and resolution. It is available on Facebook @Mississippi Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons, Twitter @missinginms and Instagram @missinginms. For more details, email missinginms@msstate.edu.
Beyond research, Goliath regularly assists statewide law enforcement agencies through MSU’s Forensic Recovery Unit, providing field recovery, analysis and training for undergraduate and graduate students preparing for forensic science careers.
A native of West Virginia, Goliath holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and a graduate minor in anatomy from The Ohio State University. Before joining MSU, he worked with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to identify missing U.S. service members from past conflicts.
For more information about MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, visit www.cas.msstate.edu or www.amec.msstate.edu.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.