When a government delegation from Vietnam visited the University of Georgia Aug. 12, members weren’t coming to see a single laboratory or one breakthrough technology. 

Instead, they visited a university where historians, archaeologists, geographers, geologists, chemists, engineers, biologists, geneticists, and computer scientists are working together to solve one of the most difficult legacies of war: locating and identifying service members who never came home. 

"Our research diversity is our strength, and the faculty you see here are eager to assist,” said Anna Stenport, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the home college for most of the faculty involved in the project.  

The campus visit marks another stage in a partnership between the Vietnamese government, UGA, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Vietnamese officials met researchers from across the university, observed demonstrations of remote sensing and ground penetrating radar, and discussed future collaborations, including training in remote sensing, archaeology, and other methods that could strengthen Vietnam's own recovery efforts. That multidisciplinary approach is what first drew Vietnamese officials to UGA as they sought U.S. partners to strengthen their efforts to recover the country's missing war dead. It also earned the university an invitation from the DoD to join its Vietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative, placing UGA alongside federal agencies and other institutions working to account for missing service members. 

For researchers involved in the project, recovering the missing has become an exercise in combining expertise that no single discipline possesses. 

We have the unique opportunity to carry out cross-disciplinary collaborations to create new technologies, advance methodological approaches, and strengthen international relations,” said Danielle Riebe, assistant professor in Franklin’s Department of Anthropology. “But more importantly, we have the honor to help recover those lost to conflicts and finally reunite them with their families.” 

Every search begins in historical records.  

Researchers examine military records, maps, and eyewitness accounts to identify locations where service members may have been lost. Those historical clues guide the next stage, when geographers use drones, satellite imagery, and remote sensing technologies to survey landscapes that may span hundreds of square kilometers. 

Only after the search area has been narrowed do archaeologists and biological anthropologists begin investigating the ground itself. 

"The problems change from site to site," said Laurie Reitsema, professor of anthropology. "That means the expertise you need also changes." 

As the search area shrinks from miles to acres, new disciplines become critical. 

Genomics professor Magdy Alabady is adapting environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches to detect degraded human DNA alongside microbial and other biological signatures associated with decomposition. By integrating multiple genomic signatures from a single soil sample, his team determines whether an area is likely to represent a burial site or contain human remains before excavation begins. The approach has already yielded promising results and could provide a powerful, non-invasive line of evidence for prioritizing search locations during humanitarian recovery efforts. 

"The environment is constantly recording biological information," Alabady said. "Our job is to decode that information and turn it into actionable evidence that helps us search more effectively and, ultimately, helps families find answers. 

Those techniques do not replace archaeology but help researchers decide where to focus excavation efforts and make the best use of limited time and resources. 

The same philosophy guides every stage of the project, with each discipline from historical research to genomics complimenting and reducing uncertainty.  

That collaborative culture is what most impressed Pat Scannon, founder of Project Recover and a UGA chemistry alumnus who has spent decades leading MIA recovery missions around the world. 

When Scannon returned to campus several years ago he met faculty across multiple departments who could strengthen Project Recover's work. 

What surprised him wasn't just the breadth of expertise but the willingness to help.  

"Each person offers part of the solution," Scannon said.   

That spirit of cooperation is the backbone of UGA's Human Recovery Working Group, which unites researchers from distinct disciplines for a powerful humanitarian mission. 

Technology is only one part of the partnership. Trust is also crucial. 

Last year, UGA researchers worked alongside Vietnamese military officials at sites that remain historically and politically sensitive. Geography professor Sergio Bernardes said protecting that information became essential to building the relationship. Maps and reports omit precise coordinates before they are shared publicly, ensuring sensitive locations remain confidential. 

"Trust is built through actions," Bernardes said. "If you're working on something this sensitive, people need to know you'll respect the information they've shared with you." 

Scannon said trust extends beyond governments to local communities and families. 

During visits to Vietnam, UGA researchers met families who are still searching for loved ones decades after the war ended. 

"We want them to know how important this is to us," Scannon said. 

For those families, every successful recovery ends decades of uncertainty. For others, time is becoming the greatest challenge as eyewitnesses age and opportunities to recover new information disappear. 

For UGA, the visit is also an opportunity to demonstrate what sets the university apart. 

Its greatest contribution is not a single instrument or scientific breakthrough, but a model of research in which experts from across disciplines work together to narrow the search—from hundreds of square kilometers to a single excavation site—and help families answer questions that have remained unresolved for generations.