National Cemetery Administration
NCA Awards Contract to Texas A&M University
October 13, 2020
WASHINGTON — The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) has awarded a contract to Texas A&M University (TAMU) as part of NCA's Veterans Legacy Program (VLP) to engage students in the development of an immersive and interactive digitized national cemetery experience.
This is VLP's first STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
"We are excited to be partnering with Texas A&M University," said Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves. "With this contract, we will make great progress towards our goal of ensuring that every Veteran's story continues to be told – even when it is not possible to visit a VA cemetery. This is an important step in ensuring "No Veteran Ever Dies".
The $249,832 contract will provide support to faculty and graduate students from TAMU's Department of Geography, Department of History, and College of Engineering. They will develop Geographic Information System (GIS)-based applications to allow public contributions to memorialize Veterans interred in three VA cemeteries: Houston National Cemetery (Texas), San Antonio National Cemetery (Texas), and Alexandria National Cemetery (Virginia). Students from TAMU's Corps of Cadets will contribute biographical research of Veterans interred in those cemeteries and others. The TAMU project team will partner with Klein Independent School District in Houston to create GIS-based learning opportunities for students and professional development for STEM teachers. The one-year contract was awarded on September 16, 2020.
This work will contribute to NCA's efforts to enhance the on-site national cemetery experience through technology while also extending that experience to citizens who are unable to visit a national cemetery.
To learn more about VLP, please visit https://www.cem.va.gov/legacy/.
