Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics

Invited Speakers from the Transportation Industry

 

Closing Bell Speakers Series

 The Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics, in which the Transportation Institute is included, sponsors the Closing Bell Speaker Series (CBSS). The program brings successful, scholarly professionals from all areas of commerce to campus to engage face-to-face with students in topical discussions about current industry issues and the changing global business environments. You can find out more about the CBSS here.

Specifically pertaining to the transportation industry:

  • In November of 2019, Eulois Cleckly, Executive Director of Public Works for the City and County of Denver, Colorado made a presentation.
  • In February of 2019, Sterling Leaven Executive Site Leader GE Aviation spoke.
  • In October of 2018, the CBSS welcomed Rhonda S. Ferguson Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Union Pacific Railroad.
  • In March 2018, Mr. Bob Murphy, Vice President of Supply Chain IBM Transformation and Operations, addressed the audience.
  • In February of 2018, David L. Howard, chief deputy secretary for the N.C. Department of Transportation, was the honored guest speaker.

 

NCDOT Research & Innovation Summit

On May 7, 2019. the North Carolina Department of Transportation and N.C. A&T State University hosted this event to facilitate the dissemination of applied transportation research and innovations. The Summit featured many speakers from the transportation industry from around the state including:

  • Neil Mastin, NCDOT Research and Development Manager
  • David L. Howard, NCDOT Chief Deputy Secretary
  • Tom Harman, USDOT FHA Center for Accelerating Innovation Director
  • James H. Trogdon III, Secretary North Carolina Department of Transportation

Read more details and view pictures here. 

CATM Symposium

CATM Virtual Research Symposium - February 7-8, 2022

On the first day of the symposium, Greg J.D. Winfree, who is the director of Texas A&M University’s Transportation Institute and has a prestigious background in transportation law and the U.S. Department of Transportation, was the keynote speaker. On the second day of the symposium, the keynote speaker was Rory A. Cooper, Ph.D. He is the founder, director and CEO of Human Engineering Research Laboratories, a joint venture of the University of Pittsburgh, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. 

Third Annual CATM Symposium - November 4, 2019
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach, Florida

The keynote speaker for the event was Ken Graham, director of the NOAA National
Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. In his address, 

Second Annual CATM Symposium - November 5, 2018
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Blacksburg, Virginia

The keynote speaker for the event was Mohammed Yousuf, Program Manager, US DOT’s Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI).

First Annual CATM Symposium - October 17, 2017. The keynote speaker was the former United States Secretary of Transportation and former mayor of Charlotte, Anthony Foxx. During his address, Secretary Foxx discussed the expanding mobility crisis, the role freight movement is playing in the growth of road congestion, how technology can be leveraged to decrease the number of trips required, and the importance of integrating the various modes of transportation. 

You can find information and view pictures from all CATM Symposiums here.

 

Summer Transportation Institute

The Summer High School Transportation Institute (STI) is a five-and-half week program on the A&T campus targeting high performing high school juniors and seniors.  The objective is to introduce students to the Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain profession and encourage them to continue their studies at the college level.  Students are introduced to all aspects of transportation; take the freshman writing course, and visit transportation sites including a major port and other transportation facilities in Washington DC. 

* Due to COVID-19 and for the safety of the students, employees, and community, we hosted the STI program virtually in 2020 and 2021. 

STI 2021 STI Transportation Speakers
  • Dr. Robert Hampshire, Principal Director Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Policy USDOT
  • Madonna L. Rorie, PE Engineering Supervisor II Working Drawing Review/Permits Structures Management Unit NCDOT
  • David Kuehn, Exploratory Advanced Research Program Team Director, Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Center 
  • Justin Pippen, Customer Logistics Analyst Johnson & Johnson-Consumer Division
  • Jordan Pippen, Manager R&D Procurement - Full-Service Outsourcing GSK
  • Dr. Wes Kumfer Engineering Research Associate, UNC-Chapel Hill Highway Safety Research Center
  • Dr. Srinivas S. Pulugurtha, P.E., F.ASCE,  Professor and Research Director & Director of Infrastructure, Design, Environment & Sustainability (IDEAS) Center UNC Charlotte
  • Dr. Carol Abel Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Emeritus Director, Center for Transportation Training & Research, Texas Southern University
 
STI 2020 STI Transportation Speakers

  • Shelby Scales Director, Office of Civil Rights, NCDOT

  • Madonna L. Rorie, PE Engineering Supervisor II Working Drawing Review/Permits Structures Management Unit NCDOT
  • Essence Douglas, Chief Rail Controller, Charlotte Light Rail Command Center
  • Shana V. Baker Director, Office of Corporate Research, Technology, and Innovation Management, Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Center
  • Mr. Taft Kelly, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
  • Mr. Levi Wright, Syngenta Crop Protection
  • Mr. Trey Curtain, FedEx Ground
  • Dr. Srinivas S. Pulugurtha, P.E., F.ASCE , Professor and Research Director & Director of Infrastructure, Design, Environment & Sustainability (IDEAS) Center UNC Charlotte
  • Anna Leonard, Piedmont Triad Regional Council Environmental Programs Coordinator
  • Dr. Wes Kumfer, Engineering Research Associate, UNC-Chapel Hill Highway Safety Research Center

  • Colean Bembry, Project Quality Manager, MARTA PA/VMS System Upgrade Projects

 
STI 2019 STI Transportation Speakers
  • Robin Barfield, Director, Safety and Risk Management N.C. Department of Transportation
  • Mr. Alvin Austin, Director Historically Black Colleges and Universities Outreach
  • Kimberly Sowell, Greensboro Assitant City Manager
  • Curtis Bradley, Research Implementation Manager NCDOT
  • Dr. Karen Pentz, N.C. A&T Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management
  • Kevin Elwood, Greensboro Transit Authority Director of Marketing
  • Tanya Boone, Security Manager Transportation Security Administration
  • Dr. Ali Karimoddini, Director Autonomous Cooperative Control of Emergent Systems of Systems Lab,  Ph.D. Candidates Sai Dekkata and Kareem Hogan
  • Dr. Joseph Huscroft Chair, N.C. A&T Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management
  • Mr. Andy Alden, VTTI Executive Director - Interstate 81 Corridor Coalition
  • Masha Shelton, Office of Corporate Research, Technology & Innovation Research, Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Center
  •  Lynise DeVance, Federal Highway Administration - N.C. Division
  • James Gaither and Mark Bailey, Project Engineers NCDOT
  • Bethany Welch NC Ports Communications Manager
  • Meredith Hayes, P.E. Senior Assistant Resident Engineer - Greensboro Western Urban Loop

 

2018 STI Transportation Speakers

  • Mr. Alvin Austin, Director Historically Black Colleges and Universities Outreach
  • Kevin Elwood - Director of Marketing Greensboro Transit Authority
  • Dr. Ahren Johnston - Associate Professor, Marketing & Transportation Supply Chain
  • Tayna Boone – Security Manager, Transportation Security Administration
  • Charles Edwards – Acting Director of NCDOT Rail Division
  • Marie Darby – Charlotte Area Transit System Rail Transportation Manager
  • Thomas Downey – Norfolk Southern Division Manager Intermodal Operations
  • Dr. Joseph Huscroft – Chair, Department of Marketing and Supply Chain
  • Modupe Congelton – Supply Chain Inclusion & Collaboration Senior Manager, Cisco Systems, Inc.
  • Anna Leonard – Piedmont Triad Regional Council Planning Division
  • Marsha Shelton – Office of Corporate Research, Innovation, and Technology, Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Center
  • Caroline Mozingo – UNC-CH Highway Safety Research Center
  • Scott Dunn – Fire Life Safety Officer, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Emergency Response Training Center
  • James Gaither, Mark Bailey – NCDOT Project Engineers
  • Lynise DeVance – Federal Highway Administration, N.C. Division
  •  Bethany Welch – N.C. Ports Communications Manager
  • Dr. Godfrey Uzochukwu – Director, N.C. A&T Waste Management Institute
  • Anthony Laborde – Accounts Operations Manager, C. H. Robinson