Margaret Cox was the Founder of Inforce and Chief Executive Officer until her retirement from full-time commitments in 2009. An academic with over 100 books and papers to her name she was, until 2009 Professor of Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology at Cranfield University, UK and prior to that Professor of Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology at Bournemouth University, UK where she designed, developed and directed their pioneering internationally acclaimed post-graduate educational provision in these subjects. 

Originally an osteo-archaeologist specialising in the analysis of human skeletal remains, particularly from post-medieval contexts, she migrated from traditional archaeology into forensic applications in the early 1990s. Margaret has advised UK police forces in the investigation of serious crime through the Forensic Search Advisory Group and the National Crime Faculty. 

Committed to human rights and humanitarian work in its broadest context, Margaret became increasingly concerned about approaches to the investigation of mass murder in the context of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity following her work in Kosovo in 1999. It was that experience that ultimately led to the establishment of Inforce. Since then Margaret has directed Inforce programmes in Rwanda in 2003-4, Iraq in 2003-4 and Cyprus in 2004-5. Committed to teaching forensic sciences for capacity building and empowerment in post conflict regions, she designed the training programmes Inforce delivered for Iraq in 2004-5. Consultant Forensic Anthropologist for the UK Ministry of Defence (JCCC) since 2000, she advises on and examines the remains of British military personnel recovered around the world, though predominantly Europe, from twentieth century conflicts; she also undertakes similar work in Europe for the Australian Army. Her most recent role is as Senior Scientific Advisor to the Fromelles Project working for the UK and Australian governments; this project will continue until 2014.  

 

Margaret’s determination to enhancing investigative procedures in the investigation of atrocity crimes, particularly from a legally correct and human rights based approach, led to the development of Inforce’s seminal publication on the Scientific Investigation of Mass Graves (2008, Cambridge University Press, Eds. Cox M, Flavel A, Hanson I, Laver J and Wessling R). She was awarded the prestigious European Woman of Achievement Award (Humanitarian section) in 2002 in recognition of her work for the MoD and in establishing Inforce to which she remains committed.