Prairie View A&M University’s 2021 Class of Minority Student Fellows (from left to right): Kamal Windom, Allun Ward, and Austin Dikas.
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (October 13, 2020) – Finding solutions to the nation’s transportation system is an ongoing problem. Three students from Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) will soon be a part of the solution.
The Transportation Research Board (TRB)—a program unit of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — announced its 2021 class of Minority Student Fellows, and Allun Ward, Austin Dikas, and Kamal Windom, undergraduate students in PVAMU’s Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, made the cut.
“It feels great!” said Windom, a senior electrical engineering student at PVAMU. “With all that’s going on right now, it’s good to hear that opportunities are working for me.”
Windom, Ward, and Dikas join 22 other undergraduate and graduate students from minority institutions across the U.S., majoring in engineering, planning, security, business, and geographic sciences. The 2021 class of fellows look forward to pitching their research and ideas to the TRB to ensure solutions to the nation’s transportation problems speak to people from various backgrounds.
“I wanted to apply to this TRB Fellowship opportunity because it was relevant to my major and a good opportunity,” said Windom, who hopes to become a systems engineer upon graduation from PVAMU. “I hope to meet relevant members of TRB and gain some experience with the transportation industry.”
Dikas, who is also a senior electrical engineering major, hopes to one day start an engineering firm. He says the TRB fellowship will give him a chance to explore the field of transportation.
“The best way to achieve your goals is to learn from someone who has already done it,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll meet someone involved in this program whose goals align with mine and can teach me what they know.”
The fellows will get a chance to do just that at the TRB’s 2021 Annual Meeting, where they will participate in Young Members Council sessions, attend a new attendee welcome event, career panel, committee meetings, and give paper presentations.
“This premier transportation research conference gives them an unparalleled opportunity to be exposed to and learn from the top transportation researchers and professionals from around the world,” said Neil Pedersen, executive director of TRB.
“Meeting new contacts can mean more job and research opportunities,” said Windom.
Dikas said, “It’s a great feeling to be a part of this exclusive group. This has definitely been a major highlight that brings a lot more meaning to my senior year.”
According to the TRB, there have been 178 fellows since 2010, who now work at federal agencies; state, metropolitan, or local departments of transportation; research institutions at universities; consulting companies; and other private sector companies.
“What’s next for me is graduating,” said Windom. “This is my last year at Prairie View A&M University, and as we say, I want to finish strong.”
“I’m hoping to gain more recognition for my university so that we can make an even bigger name for ourselves. This will open up more opportunities for my classmates and future students of PVAMU,” said Dikas.
For a full list of the 2021 TRB fellows, click here.
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