The Reuniting Families Project (RFP) was founded in 2003 by Baylor anthropology faculty member and current Vice Provost, Dr. Lori Baker. RFP was created to establish a system for the identification of the remains of deceased undocumented migrants found along the U.S. Southern border.

Attempts are made to associate the remains with law enforcement case reports but this is often difficult due to the lack of grave markers, cemetery records or maps designating grave sites for each individual.  RFP scientists then perform a full forensic anthropological analysis, take samples for DNA, stable isotope and elemental analyses, enter the information into missing persons databases and share this information with organizations representing the families of the missing. The ultimate goal is to determine identities and return the deceased to their families.

Under the leadership of Dr. Baker, a team of Baylor students travels each year to the border, where they gain hands-on experience in exhuming remains, performing forensic DNA and skeletal analyses, identifying missing people and bringing closure to families.