Professor Herman Bernitz BChD, MSc, DipOdont, PhD, is a Senior Stomatologist in the Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology within the School of Dentistry.  He is responsible for managing Forensic Dental Research at the University of Pretoria.  In addition, Professor Bernitz served as the President of the International Organisation for Forensic Odonto-Stomatology (IOFOS) from 2005 to 2011.  He has particular interests in bite mark analysis and mass disaster identification.  He was Chairman of the “bite mark” working group in Lillehammer, Norway where the international standards in bite mark analysis were set.

We as a Department are extremely proud to announce the recent contribution by Professor Bernitz of a book chapter to “The Global Practice of Forensic Science”, edited by Douglas H. Ubelaker (1^st ed, 2015, Wiley-Blackwell).  Chapter 23 is entitled “The history and current status of forensic science in South Africa” which documents the history of Forensic Science in our country.  The chapter was co-authored by colleagues in several disciplines of Forensic Science.  It details the legal aspects pertaining to Forensic Odontology as well as the education, training and application of the sciences of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Toxicology and Forensic Ballistics.  It documents the significance of DNA evidence as well the role of the South African Police Services Unit of Offender Profiling in the practice of Forensic Science.

Professor Bernitz strives to achieve a high level of excellence and has made a meaningful contribution to the field of Forensic Science through his work in Forensic Odontology.  We would like to congratulate him on the inclusion of this book chapter and acknowledge his role in this field of expertise.