2023SCHOLARSHIPAWARDEES

FOLARIN (AKINFOLARIN) ABATAN

GARRETT A. MORGAN TRANSPORTATION ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

FOLARIN (AKINFOLARIN) ABATAN is a student in the Civil Engineering PhD program at Michigan State University where he maintains a 3.92 GPA. Folarin is currently leading efforts as a part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 15-75, which is focused on updating existing guidance in the AASHTO Green Book related to acceleration, deceleration and stopping sight distance. Prior to joining MSU, where he also serves as a graduate research assistant, Folarin gained important practical experience during two years as a Traffic Engineer with the City of Detroit. He also has a passion for giving back, as shown through his involvement in COMTO Michigan chapter events, working as a traffic control volunteer for the first COVID-19 testing facility in Detroit through the Coronavirus Community Care Network, work with Habitat for Humanity and through other professional organizations such as ITE and NSBE Folarin notes that volunteer experiences have allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of challenges faced by various communities and motivates him to continue giving back

Colinpearson

GARRETTA.MORGANTRANSPORTATIONACHIEVEMENTSCHOLARSHIPRECIPIENT

COLIN PEARSON is a rising sophomore studying Civil Engineering at Michigan State University, where he maintains a 367 GPA He serves as a professorial assistant, where he helps serve as an advisor to schools statewide for safe routes to school solutions Colin expressed that this work has allowed him to use the skills he has developed in the classroom to make a tangible impact in communities. He is motivated by having a positive impact on others and looks forward to pursuing a career in civil engineering or urban planning that will help him work toward a more equitable future for our cities. Colin was also one of forty incoming freshman at MSU to be selected to participate in the Honors College Impact program, which allowed him to spend a week prior to the start of the semester volunteering at organizations around the Lansing area and learning from experts about solutions to global inequities and intersectionality Colin is a returning COMTO Michigan scholarship recipient