September 20, 2018

College of Charleston Wins EXPO Student Competition

CALVERTON, MD, September 21, 2018 – An undergraduate team fielded by the College of Charleston won the Intermodal Association of North America's eighth Intermodal EXPO Academic Challenge in Long Beach, Calif. It was their first victory.

The students representing the College were Brenden Cornell, Ashley Markow and Alejandro Vega. Each of the participating teams responded to a case that focused on rail network optimization.

"Students from the College of Charleston were thrilled to participate in the Academic Competition at the 2018 EXPO," said Kent Gourdin, professor and director of the Global Logistics and Transportation Program at the institution’s School of Business. "The task exposed them to the incredibly complex world of managing day-to-day rail operations with the goal of lowering costs without adversely impacting customer satisfaction or profitability."

The other competing undergraduate schools, all IANA Scholarship Program participants, included Georgia Southern University, SUNY Maritime College, and the Universities of Maryland, North Florida, North Texas and Wisconsin-Superior. The competition is an integral part of IANA's Scholarship Program which supports the development of academic curriculum designed to meet the need to educate tomorrow's intermodal leaders.

"The Academic Competition is always an impressive display of teamwork and critical thinking,” said Joni Casey, president and CEO of IANA. "Congratulations to the team from the College of Charleston."

Since the Scholarship Program's inception in 2007, IANA has awarded over two million dollars to support students in university programs focused on freight and intermodal transportation. These grants provide tuition support, encourage research on intermodal issues and seek to progress the education of the intermodal freight transportation industry's next generation of leaders and managers.

About IANA
IANA’s roster of more than 1,000 corporate members includes railroads, ocean carriers, ports, intermodal truckers and over-the-road highway carriers, intermodal marketing and logistic companies, and suppliers to the industry. This roster gives IANA a unique position within the intermodal community, one which is authoritative, holistic and able to affect change that benefits everyone. IANA consistently supports the shared needs, interests, and goals of its diverse members – regardless of mode or function – with business solutions, education, and networking opportunities.