Dave Fujimoto, Lela Akiashvili, Joshua Causey, Amanda Driggers, Megi Llubani, and Sydney Thomas
A team of Bush School of Government and Public Service student researchers have developed a unique smart phone application concept to help Texas A&M veterans complete their education. The mobile app, Dogtags2Diploma, seeks to identify student veterans at risk of not successfully completing their academic program and provide access to campus and community resources.
The student researchers, at Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service say the mobile app is currently in the pilot stage of development among Texas A&M student veterans in a partnership with the Texas A&M Veteran Resource and Support Center.
“Our innovative smart phone application consolidates and personalizes veteran-specific resources both on and off campus and has the potential to be used in colleges around the country,” team member and second-year student Dave Fujimoto said. “I’m really proud of the work we did to address this issue.”
The team’s mobile app is currently in the pilot stage of use among Texas A&M student veterans in a partnership with the Texas A&M Veteran Resource and Support Center.
“The team of six students entered the mobile app in the National Public Policy Challenge at the University of Pennsylvania and reached the semifinal round of the nationwide competition. The National Public Policy Challenge is an annual competition providing an opportunity for student teams to develop a policy proposal and civic campaign plan to achieve significant change in their communities.
“It was a pleasure to serve as the advisor to the talented team of students that form the Bush School’s National Public Policy Challenge team,” Bush School professor and team advisor, Dr. Justin Bullock, said. “Their idea is a clever proposal to help student veteran’s access university and community resources that will help those student veterans have a successful college experience.”
Graduate students from the Bush School are invited each year to the Challenge to compete for the $15,000 grand prize. The event is co-hosted by the Fels Institute and Governing Magazine and attracts competitors from policy schools around the nation.
