The South Carolina State University Institute of Business, Environment, Communication & Transportation (BECT) was launched in July 2022 to support SC State in building and sustaining a program that fosters synergy and educational opportunities through innovative research, teaching, and learning to meet the needs of faculty, students, and the community in the areas of Business, Environmental Science, Communication, and the Transportation sectors. The Institute is one of seven created through a legislative act sponsored by Senator John Scott involving all seven HBCUs in the state.
The BECT Institute’s Objectives:
- Create a pipeline of skilled and innovative students through experiential learning, training, and research opportunities.
- Engage in community development by assisting businesses to become financially successful and stable businesses.
- Develop working relationships with business, industry and government leaders to enhance opportunities in business, environmental science, communication, and transportation.
- Engage faculty and students and the community in professional development.
- Expand the teaching, learning, research, and scholarship focus of the University.
The BECT Advisory Council
The BECT Institute consists of an Executive Director and eleven council members with diverse backgrounds and skills related to business, environmental science, communications and transportation:
- Dr. Barbara Adams, Executive Director
- Dr. Mona Behl, Associate Director of Georgia Sea Grant (BECT Environment)
- Mrs. Jacquelyn Cunningham, Business Analyst, the MIL Corporation (BECT Technology Team Leader)
- Mr. Arthur Fennell, President, Fennell Media (BECT Communications)
- Dr. Stanley Ihekweazu, Dean, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation (CSTEM-T) (BECT Transportation)
- Mr. Dave Kerford, CEO of Kerford & Associates (BECT Business Team Leader)
- Dr. Venetia Lyles, Associate Professor and Director of Savannah River Environmental Science Field Station (BECT Environmental Science Team Leader)
- Dr. Judith Mwakalonge, Associate Professor of Transportation and Director of Center for Connected Multimodal Mobility (C2M2) (BECT Transportation)
- Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, Professor of Journalism and Communications (BECT Communications)
- Dr. Renu Singh, Associate Professor of Marketing (BECT Communications & Business)
- Mr. Curtis Thomas, President, Curtis Thomas Solutions (retired from Department of Transportation) (BECT Transportation Team Leader)
- Dr. Ann Winstead, Retired from SC Department of Education and South Carolina State University (BECT Leadership Development & Research Team Leader)
The BECT Advisory Council works with the Executive Director to maximize the accomplishment of the goals and objectives of the Institute. The role and responsibilities include the following components:
- Provide specialized information, skills and experience.
- Provide guidance and oversight on the latest solutions, trending techniques and knowledge.
- Help BECT identify and execute successful projects.
- Promote BECT in the community.