The Summit

 

This Summit is organized by South Carolina State University’s Business, Environment, Communications, and Transportation (BECT) Institute to bring together the transportation experts and policy-makers of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the James E. Clyburn University Transportation Research and Conference Center (JECUTC); the students, faculty, professional staff, and administrators of South Carolina’s seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and their key stakeholders to learn, discuss, and network around intermodal transportation education, research, innovations, and careers.

The Summit Committee:

• Dr. Barbara I. Adams
• Mr. Curtis L. Thomas
• Mrs. Jacquelyn D N Cunningham
• Dr. Stanley Ihekweazu
• Dr. Judith Mwakalonge
• Dr. E. Jerome Pearson

The BECT Institute

The objectives of the BECT Institute are to:

• Create a pipeline of skilled and innovative students through experiential learning, training, and research opportunities.
• Engage in community development by assisting businesses to become financially successful and stable.
• Develop working relationships with business, industry, and government leaders to enhance opportunities in business, environmental science, communication, and transportation.
• Engage faculty and students, and the community in professional development.
• Expand the teaching, learning, research, and scholarship focus of the university.

 

The BECT Advisory Council

The BECT Institute consists of an Executive Director and eleven council members with diverse backgrounds and skills related to business, environmental science, communications, and transportation as follows:

• Dr. Barbara Adams, Executive Director
• Dr. Mona Behl, Associate Director, Georgia Sea Grant (BECT Environment)
• Mrs. Jacquelyn Cunningham, Business Analyst, The MIL Corporation (BECT Innovations Team Leader)
• Mr. Arthur Fennell, President, Fennell Media (BECT Communications Team Leader)
• Dr. Stanley Ihekweazu, Dean, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation (BECT Environment & Transportation)
• Mr. Dave Kerford, CEO, Kerford & Associates (BECT Business Leader)
• Dr. Venetia Lyles, Associate Professor; Director, Savannah River Environmental Science Field Station (BECT Environmental Science Team Leader)
• Dr. Judith Mwakalonge, Associate Professor, Transportation;  Director, Center for Connected Multimodal Mobility (BECT Transportation)
• Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, Professor, Journalism and Communications (BECT Communications)
• Dr. Renu Singh, Associate Professor, Marketing (BECT Communications & Business)
• Mr. Curtis Thomas, President, Curtis Thomas Solutions; retired Senior Executive Service,  U.S. Department of Transportation (BECT Transportation Team Leader)
• Dr. Ann Winstead, retired, SC Department of Education and South Carolina State University (BECT Leadership Development & Research Team Leader)

The BECT Advisory Council works with the Executive Director to maximize the accomplishment of the goals and objectives of the Institute. The role and responsibilities include the following components:

• Provide specialized information, skills, and experience.
• Provide guidance and oversight on the latest solutions, trending techniques, and knowledge.
• Help BECT identify and execute successful projects.
• Promote BECT in the community.