1987_01 The Daily Collegian January 1987

              ^Friday, Jan.30.,1987.
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- Face to face with the past
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Reconstructing faces from the past is the specialty of CSUF senbr Laura Trainer. Trainer has been studying facial reconstruction for two years.
By Paul Worthington
StaffWriter \
Most of us are somewhat squeamish
about handling skulls, but for one CSUF
student they can reveal the appearance of a
person, whether for history or the police.
Microbiology major Laura Trainer can
reconstruct the face of a dead person by
working with just a skull some basic
materials, and a great deal of anatomical
knowledge.
The student learns a lot about facial
structure, looking very carefully at how
tissues are put together," said CSUF
Professor Roger LaJeunesse who Trainer
works with. "I learned a lot myself."
There is no class," Trainer said. "I just
said. Hey, I'm interested in this.' I don't
get units or credit for this. I'm doing it on
Microbiology student learns
facial reconstruction
Her work with LaJeunesse is an
apprenticeship, "one on one with no one
else involved," she said.
The techniques are derived from work
done in autopsies and the construction of
the face that is revealed as it is taken apart,
LaJeunesse said. The techniques "allow us
to control our guesses as to what people
look like."
The facial reconstructions are not made
on the aaaal skull* and a mold of it must
first be made. Trainer said the begins by
filling in all the orifices in the skull: the
around the skull to catch any excess latex,
which she brushes over the head. Next
she adds a platter backing to the latex, and
the negative mold is then removed.
A dental stone skull is then cast in the
latex mold.
"You can get everything at the hobby
store," Trainer said of her materials,
"except the eyes."
And the skull, of course.
The eyes she uses are actual prosthetics
rejected because of incorrect color by the
people for which they are made. One
woman who makes them gives them to the
school for a tax write-off. Trainer said.
"LaJeunesse has a set of brown ones, and I
have a set of blue ones'.
"Flesh has different depth throughout the
face," Trainer said. General statistical data
is used to estimate the thickness of the
'flesh' to be applied, based on age, race, and
sex. all which can be determined from the
skull
"Depth indicators" (actually rubber
erasers measured out in millimeters) are
then placed over the head, and plastacine
clay is then lumped on up to die height of
the indicators. "Just connect die dots and
fill it up," Trainer said. This part sounds
like anyone could do it, but "then it gets
tricky."
The clay is smoothed out, and a lump is
added on for the nose.
The prosthetic eyes are added. 'The color
is generally determined by race, but you can
really tell from the date I have," she said.
She then molds and cats around the eyes
and arises. "I spend a lot of time looking at
. different peoples' eyes and noses to see how
they're structured."
A line is extrapolated from the bridge to
the base for the nose, which "is pretty
much guess work," Trainer said. As a nose
is made of cartilage, there is no evidence of,
its shape left on the skull, so a general
shape is given.
Trainer said that the nose really does not
have as much to do with the look of a
person as one might think.
For die finishing touches, eyelashes are
added and die eyes are alined properly.
It gives him that eerie glow, like he's
looking at you," she said.
In actual police work Trainer said
reconstruction is done from complete or
partial skulls to identify a body. "Posters
are sent to cities where it's possible the
person has disappeared from, and maybe
relatives can identify it.
The finished skull won't be exactly like
a photograph, but pretty darn near so that
you can't mistake it."
"I have friends who have done these jobs
and identification has been made,"
LaJeunesse said. The resemblance is quite
good. The sculpture looked pretty damn
close to the person they were looking
far."
Trainer said at least one other student is
now interested in facial irnxmsuuction,
hot if others want to get into it they must
first have die necessary background in
biochemistry, anatomy and physiology."
Interest is not enough, she said.
Trainer started two years ago when an
interest in the TV show "Quincy" (about
a forensic police researcher) and the
Joseph Mengele case (where the remains
of the Nazi war criminal were examined
for positive identification) led into a
conversation with her biochemistry
professor. Dr. Story. He recommended she
speak with LaJeunesse.
'1 think she has a talent," LaJeunesse
said. "She's learned much of this on her
own - I've shown her very little. The
effort she's put into it is quite
commendable."
Trainer plans to graduate with a degree
in microbiology, but is also taking
classes in criminology, anthropology, and
forensic medicine. CSUF does not offer
the degree in criminalistics she wants for
her chosen goal of working in the F.B.I.
forensic lab, "the biggest in the world,"
she said.
She is already in "the final stages" of
being hired by the Fresno Police
Department and is now on leave from the
State Center Police Academy, where she
spent six weeks last f all.
The majority of the work she expects
to do in her career will be biochemical
work - identifying blood types, bullets to
weapons, and hair follicles. "I don't expect
to do this (fscial reconstruction) often."
"For her it's an exercise in anatomy, in
how bone and facial tissues relate,
comparative anatomy," LaJeunesse said
"In die history of fossil man you find
skulls and you want to know what they
looked like. It's a more satisfying picture
than    an     artists     two