2011 Summer Maritime Academy Report

SMA students at Battleship Texas

This year, TSU host two sessions of the Summer Maritime Academy (SMA). The purpose of the SMA was to introduce rising high school juniors, seniors, and recent high school graduates to the maritime industry in the areas of logistics, security, and the environment. The SMA consisted of two weeks of field trips, guest speakers, and sessions on visioning and goal setting; public speaking; SAT prep and test taking strategies; and web design. Field trips included destinations to transportation related sites in the area including: Houston Maritime Museum, Houston TranStar, Port of Houston Authority (and Sam Houston Boat Tour), U.S. Coast Guard Facility, and Battleship Texas. Students learned about the maritime industry and security in the maritime industry from seasoned maritime professionals.The highlight of each SMA was the Closing Ceremony Luncheon. At each luncheon, students delivered presentations on the various subjects they learned about during the two week SMA. At each luncheon, students also heard from two maritime professionals who were awarded the Paul Cuffee Maritime Leadership Award (PCMLA). The PCMLA was created by the TSU Maritime Industry Advisory Board to recognize the contributions of minorities in the maritime industry in the Texas Gulf Coast region.

SMA students at the US Coast Guard facility (left) and at the Closing Ceremony Luncheon, and at the Houston Transtar (right)

TSU received over 80 applications for the SMA, however only 42 students were selected to participate. Students were selected based on their completed application, personal essay, and letters of recommendation from two professionals. The next SMA will be conducted summer 2012. Applications will be available February 1, 2012.

Dr. Yi Qi 
Department of Transportation Studies