BBAM2023: Student Poster Competition Deemed a Rousing Success

By Alex Keimig

This year, Breakbulk Americas was delighted to present its inaugural Breakbulk Student Poster Competition, chaired by Margaret Kidd, supply chain and logistics technology program director at the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering, Technology Division, and sponsored by Bechtel, 4D Supply Chain Consulting, UTC Overseas, DP World and the University of Houston.

In total, 31 projects were submitted for consideration by teams from both the University of Houston and Texas A&M University at Galveston, with nine recognized during a main stage presentation ceremony in Houston.

The focus of the competition was the digitization and continuing sustainability of maritime operations, with topics ranging from the state of automation in container ports, the risk assessment of cyberthreats to maritime infrastructure and implementing smart port technology.

Because of the timing of the Fall semester and the start of classes, most students had little more than a month to take their projects from early conception to presentation and judging.

“What this showed us is that we challenged our students, and they were up to the challenge,” Kidd said. “One of the things that I’ve seen in my experience is that in doing experiential and applied learning, students have more fun, and they put a lot more heart and effort into it. It was a great bonding experience, too.”

The nine teams – first, second, and third place, plus six honorable mentions – were recognized onstage alongside their academic advisors and representatives from the competition’s sponsors with several thousand dollars in total awards.

“We had such a great group of sponsors for this event,” Kidd said. “You have a Texas university; you have a Port Authority; you have one of the world’s largest engineering firms; you have a third-party logistics firm; you have another firm that’s very dedicated to workforce training and certifications. That’s really a great partnership.

“I’m so proud of all the students that participated from the University of Houston and Texas A&M University at Galveston. They made a major investment of their time and effort, and you can really see the teamwork that went into each of these projects concerning key development goals for the industry.

“This is such a unique platform where industry and academia come together. We’ve got to take advantage of that to keep supporting students, building relationships, and growing the industry. Our corporate partners are doing great work in ESG (environmental, social, and governance aspects) and trying to solve the world’s problems… all of the students that participated in this competition deserve recognition for their contributions to that work. They are all winners.”

Awards:

First Place: Implementing Smart Port Technology

Advisor: Al Henson

Student team: Daniel Mendez, Zain Hussnain, John Nguyen, Alex Kasymkanov, Jamal Olasode, Taylor Fusco

Second Place: The Kra Canal: Pros, Cons and Future Opportunities

Advisor: Al Henson

Student team: Adrian Rodriguez, Tyriana Terrell, Vuong Hong, Ndeye Sofia Marre, Bryan Martinez, Ivan Leon

Third Place: Quenching Global Thirst: The Power of the Sun

Advisor: Margaret Kidd

Student team: Lindsey Guerrero, William Day, Gavin Chang, Herson Medrano, Abigail Lopez

Honorable Mentions:

Energizing Solutions: Tackling Oil Price Challenges

Advisor: Margaret Kidd

Student team: Anthony Reyes, Christian Sallese, David Zacher, Raja Singh, Sergio Morales

Port AI: Smart Solutions for Modern Maritime Infrastructure

Advisor: Margaret Kidd

Student team: Sebastian Nguyen, Herb Lopez, Westley Adame, Anissa Warren, Ali Khowaja

The State of Automation in Container Ports

Advisor: Margaret Kidd

Student team: Alie Haruna, David Rodriguez, Ali Syed, Kevin Tran

Port Infrastructure: Risk Assessment of Maritime Cyber Attack – A Probabilistic Model

Advisor: TAMUG

Student Team: Jessica Perez, Juanita Monteiro

Impact of Digital Twinning on Global Capital Projects & Port Infrastructure

Advisors: Margaret Kidd and Al Henson

Student team: Ashley Velasquez, Kevin Velasquez, Zaki Hamel, Bethel Mbakaogu

The Sustainability and Energy Efficiency of Offshore Windmill Turbines

Advisor: Al Henson

Student team: Vanessa Davis, Karina De La Rosa, Ronaldo Quiroz, Sardar Islam, Munif Monim 

Check out highlights from this year's Education Day in Houston: