Project Purdue Missing-in-Action (MIA) Recovery Initiative Program Margo Katherine Wilke Undergraduate Research Internship Program Term Spring 2026 Status Accepted Research Area History, Anthropology, Archaeology, International Relations, Asian Studies Description The Purdue Missing-in-Action (MIA) Recovery Initiative seeks three (3) undergraduate interns to support Purdue University’s emerging partnership with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to locate, identify, and repatriate the unrecovered remains of US military personnel from past military conflicts. Interns will work closely with the project director, Dr. Andrew Bellisari (History Department), to conduct preliminary research into MIA cases from the Vietnam War, focusing initially on five Purdue alumni whose remains have not yet been located within the territorial boundaries and waters of Vietnam. Interns will also support activities related to the development of a future Missing-In-Action Accounting and Recovery Center (MARC) at Purdue. Supervisor Andrew Harold Bellisari Mentor Andrew Harold Bellisari Type of work required Undergraduate team members should expect to engage in or support the following tasks:

Research & Analysis
1. Apply historical research methodologies to investigate unresolved MIA cases, including archival research, oral history, and secondary source analysis.
2. Navigate and utilize federal, state, military, and private archives to extract relevant data for case development.
3. Critically evaluate diverse historical sources (e.g., memoirs, news reports, official histories) to reconstruct circumstances of loss.
4. Conduct and interpret oral history interviews, demonstrating sensitivity to cultural and linguistic contexts, including Vietnamese language materials where applicable.
5. Collect and analyze geospatial data using GIS tools to support historical and geographical reconstructions of MIA cases.

Communication & Collaboration
1. Prepare and deliver research reports and presentations tailored to academic, governmental, and public audiences.
2. Collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary research teams, contributing to shared goals and participating in regular project meetings.
3. Engage with stakeholders and potential partners within Purdue and other communities of interest to support the development of the MARC initiative.

Technical & Administrative Skills
1. Organize and maintain digital research databases, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and accessibility of project data.
2. Transcribe, translate, and edit historical documents for use in research and public dissemination.
3. Perform administrative tasks essential to the operation of a research initiative, including scheduling, documentation, and reporting.

Professional Development
1. Demonstrate familiarity with DPAA protocols and methodologies, including ethical standards and operational procedures.
2. Reflect on the ethical dimensions of MIA recovery work, including issues of memory, identity, and national responsibility.
3. Explore career pathways in public history, military history, forensic anthropology, and international relations through hands-on experience and mentorship.

Independent Research Experience
1. Independently research and present findings on a selected MIA case, synthesizing archival, oral, and spatial data into a coherent narrative and actionable report.

Weekly hours will vary throughout the course of the project and are negotiable based on intern availability, but applicants should anticipate 5-8 hours of work each week (on average) during the 2025-2026 academic year. Websites To learn more about the work conducted by the DPAA, please visit: https://www.dpaa.mil Qualifications The following qualifications will be used to select project team members. Candidates do not have to satisfy all of these qualifications and may be selected based on their skills in any of the following areas: 1. Academic and/or extracurricular experience related to history, anthropology, and humanities and social science disciplines that emphasize qualitative research methodologies. Students who have completed advanced coursework in history (e.g. enrollment in or completion of HIST 395/495) or the equivalent in another discipline are particularly encouraged to apply. 2. Demonstrated experience conducting primary source analysis and archival research, archaeological fieldwork, and/or oral history interviews (or discipline-specific equivalent, e.g. ethnography). 3. Experience with GIS platforms and databases, digital humanities, database maintenance, and website development. 4. Functional knowledge of Vietnamese (in particular reading and speaking). Note: at least one position will be reserved for an applicant who can demonstrate a working knowledge of Vietnamese. Credit Hours 0 Weekly Hours 5 (estimated)