The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) Foundation, the educational and charitable arm of the tolling organisation, has announced the first recipients of its new scholarship scheme.
Selected from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), each student will receive $5,000 to defray the costs of pursuing a transportation-related degree.
The 2020 recipients are: Mubarek Abdela and Getaante Yilma, who are both studying computer science at the University of the District of Columbia; and Tatyanna Sutton, who is studying cybersecurity at Hampton University.
IBTTA says there is a "necessity to provide more opportunities for mentorship and leadership in the transportation tolling industry".
The scholarships, designed to support and encourage Black students to become future transportation leaders, dovetail with the aims of the IBTTA's Task Force on Diversity, Social and Racial Inclusion, which was set up last year.
IBTTA, which recently entered a partnership with the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, is pledged to foster diversity in the tolling industry.
“We are thrilled to award scholarships to these three outstanding students to help support their degrees,” said Samuel Johnson, CEO of Transportation Corridor Agencies and IBTTA president.
"Incorporating this next generation’s ideas and passion around the environment, habitat and social equity will be essential to future efforts to improve the movement of goods and people around the world.”
Frank McCartney, foundation chair and principal at FGM Consulting, said the three students "will be transportation change-agents as innovation and new technologies revolutionise how people work and travel about the country and the world".
The 2020 scholarship recipients will be recognised for their achievement during IBTTA’s virtual Board of Directors Meeting on 13 January 13.
