Brooks County Sheriff’s Office
Capstone projects at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University are integrative, team-based, applied research projects required of all students. Led by a faculty member representing a client agency, these projects require students to collaborate effectively within a team while simultaneously demonstrating independent thought, critical analysis, and the application of their academic knowledge and skills.
One of our 2024 MPSA capstone projects involves collaboration with the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office. Led by Associate Professor Dan DeBree, who has over 30 years of experience in military and homeland security, the project is being undertaken by a team of 13 MPSA students.
The Brooks County Sheriff’s search and recovery team rescues migrants in distress and attempts recovery and identification of deceased migrants. Over the course of the school year, Professor DeBree’s students will observe and gather data in the field, meet with Customs and Border Protection officials and local nonprofits, and test drone technologies that could assist in locating migrants in distress. They aim to propose viable solutions to the humanitarian crisis affecting Brooks County and much of South Texas.
The inspiration behind this project was Emma Newman, a Texas A&M doctoral anthropology student researching the crisis in Brooks County. Seeking a deeper understanding, she enrolled in Professor DeBree’s class on border security. Intrigued by her research, Professor DeBree decided to visit and observe the crisis firsthand. This led to the capstone’s creation, with Newman as a co-primary investigator. This capstone is a great example of how the Bush School takes on relevant challenges and teaches students how to tackle complex situations.
Having this opportunity to be co-primary investigator with Professor DeBree gives Newman a chance to take a more hands-on approach to her research while developing her skills in collaborative research. Because of her background knowledge and connections Newman has already made in Brooks County, Newman is using her contacts to plan tours, briefings, and meetings where students can ask questions and learn. “It is important to me to act as both a source of knowledge when it comes to our work, and a mentor”, said Newman.
As someone who has been working with this cause for some time now, Newman speaks of the emotional weight of working with those searching for missing migrants and recovering remains. She also remains
“thankful that [the impact] hasn’t changed because this work should always weigh heavy on the heart, that’s how you know you’re not dehumanizing a group of people or ignoring the crisis of what’s happening. This work has opened my eyes and connected me with people from around the world who engage with topics of migration, migrant disappearance, missing migrants, and death at transnational borders.”
Capstones are both challenging and rewarding for Bush School students. They emphasize the practitioner approach that prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed in their chosen field of public service. More than that, most students are truly engaging in acts of public service by taking part of these projects. Riley Thomason, a class of 2025 MPSA student working with the Brooks County migrant project describes this capstone as a “unique opportunity for us as students to step outside the classroom and take up the calling of public service. The opportunity for us as students to take what we have learned in our courses at the Bush School and come together to reduce human suffering is truly such an impactful experience. We are thankful to be a part of the Bush School MPSA program that allows us to take part in such meaningful work.”
