COMTO Youth Symposium

On Saturday, July 12th, 2014, graduate students from Georgia Tech took part in the first annual Transportation Career Expo Fair at the Garrett A. Morgan Youth Symposium. This symposium was sponsored by the DC-based Committee of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) during their 43rd annual National Meeting and Training Conference in Atlanta, GA. The symposium gave students from underrepresented minorities a chance to engage in and learn about the field of transportation and careers in the field.

Part II of the Symposium, titled Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead, provided introduction for students considering the transportation field for their career. A number of colleges, technical schools, and local transportation agencies were available to speak with students. Notable organizations such as GDOT, MARTA, and The Atlanta Streetcar Project were present.

Georgia Tech transportation graduate students Stefanie Brodie and Margaret-Avis Akofio-Sowah were in attendance representing Georgia Tech, through the recommendation of Dr. Adjo Amekudzi Kennedy of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. For their presentation, volunteers Brodie and Akofio-Sowah presented the students with five questions relating to Atlanta that transportation research can or is addressing in the city. They also showed the students several approaches towards answering those questions, and potential solutions, as well as coordinating a game of Transportation Jeopardy to further spark student interest in the field.

Back on campus, Brodie is a third year Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering, working with Dr. Amekudzi Kennedy’s Infrastructure Research Group. Her thesis topic is on accessibility. Margaret-Avis Akofio-Sowah is also a third year Ph.D. student working with Dr. Amekudzi Kennedy’s Infrastructure group, and her thesis topic is on the topic of asset management implementation strategies.

Previous Slide 1/2 NextStefanie Brodie and Margaret-Avis Akofio-Sowah Students from the Transportation Career Expo Fair