Over the course of three decades Dennis E. Slice, Professor of Scientific Computing at Florida State University (Tallahassee), has contributed in many crucial ways to the development, dissemination and innovative application of today's best morphometric methods. His early articles and reviews helped teach biologists about Procrustes analysis and its differences from other approaches beginning well before his actual doctorate was awarded. More recently, he and his students have advanced novel landmark-free methods for analysis of 3D image data with important applications in areas such as forensic anthropology that academic biologists rarely explore. Along the way, he has developed 20 open source software packages that are widely used for morphometric analysis across the full range of his application fields.

Slice’s contributions to the dissemination of morphometric methods include influential surveys, edited volumes, and symposia. Particularly important are the dozens of courses and scores of workshops through which he has expanded our morphometrics community. Another major contribution is his commitment to the continuing advancement of this community's collective skills and influence through his expansion and moderation of the community's main web-based news outlet and question forum, Morphmet.

Slice’s work has expanded the range of valid applications of morphometric methods. His extensive publication record includes innovative and diverse applications of morphometrics in, among other fields, orthodontics, evolutionary biology, biomedical engineering, paleoanthropology, evolutionary psychology, protective clothing design, and marine biology. His funding sources are likewise diverse, ranging well beyond the usual list of sponsors of basic research to such institutions as the National Institute of Justice and the U. S. Army.

The 2017 Rohlf Medal will be presented to Prof. Slice on October 24, 2017 at Stony Brook University. Afterwards, he will present a lecture (title to be announced). Previous recipients of the Rohlf Medal are Fred Bookstein (University of Vienna), Paul O'Higgins (University of York), and Benedikt Hallgrimsson (University of Calgary).

This article was written by Benedikt Hallgrimsson and first appeared at morphometrics.org.

For more, go to www.morphometrics.org/home/morphmet.