Primary Department: Institute of Forensic Sciences
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Pramod Gumpeni, M.D., Interim Executive Director & Chief Medical Examiner
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Donation
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval to accept from Texas Center for the Missing (TCM) a total donation of $127,500 per year, provided each year for two years to fund a time-limited Anthropology Fellow for Unknown Decedent Identification.
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Background and Discussion:
Texas Center for the Missing (TCM) routinely partners with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (HCIFS) to identify unknown decedents. Together, the agencies approached leadership at Service Corporation International (SCI), commonly recognized as Dignity Memorial, the largest provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services in North America (based in Houston and with a large presence throughout the greater Houston area) as a potential source for funding a dedicated Unknown Decedent Identification fellow position. Dignity Memorial eagerly agreed to contribute the funds necessary to create a position at the HCIFS for a two-year period via TCM. As such, TCM is donating the salary and benefits for an Anthropology Fellow for Unknown Decedent Identification to serve the HCIFS for two years, as well as additional funding for related operational needs. The position, approved for creation by Commissioners Court on July 9, 2026, will be full-time and dedicated to the identifi...
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