PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (February 16, 2024) — Against the vibrant backdrop of Washington, DC, from January 7 to 11, 2024, at the 103rd Transportation Research Board (TRB) annual meeting, three Prairie View A&M University students were honored as recipients of the esteemed US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) grant.”

 

Proud Panthers

 

Embarking on a journey of academic exploration and innovation, three outstanding students from PVAMU are delving into groundbreaking research under the guidance of their esteemed faculty advisors. Carol Akpan, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering under the mentorship of Lealon Martin, Ph.D.,JD, is unraveling the intricacies of sulfur fates in integrated biological and transport systems through a multi-scale, optimization-based approach. Akpan also had the honor of serving as a speaker at the DDETFP Research Showcase’s Lectern Session. In the realm of Mechanical Engineering, Manuela Angunu Micha Nchama, under the advisement of Mr. Seaborn Carter is addressing challenges and proposing solutions for ensuring safe drinking water in the United States. Meanwhile, Trinity Wiley, a RISE student in Civil & Environmental Engineering under the mentorship of Judy Perkins, Ph.D., PE, is focusing on sustainable materials for Texas roadways.

Carol Akpan

The DDETFP offers financial assistance to students pursuing both undergraduate and graduate degrees in transportation-related disciplines. Notably, PVAMU’s President, Tomikia P. LeGrande, along with PVAMU’s Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Michael L. McFrazier, Ph.D., Pamela Obiomon, Ph.D., Dean of the Roy G. Perry School of Engineering, and Judy Perkins, Ph.D., Director of the National Center for Infrastructure Transformation and Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and TAMUS Regents Professor, attended the TRB meeting as well.

(L-R) Manuela Angunu Micha Nchama, Trinity Wiley

Carol Akpan, Manuela Angunu Micha Nchama, and Trinity Wiley received support in the amounts of $10,000, $8,500, and $7,000, respectively.

The Division of Research and Innovation provides funding support for undergraduate and graduate students through its RISE program.

By Joe McGinty