WSSU senior receives Eisenhower Fellowship

A Winston-Salem State University senior has been awarded a $10,000 research fellowship through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration.

Beau Lewis, an economics major and information systems minor from Winston-Salem, received the grant from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP).

“The program awards fellowships to students pursuing degrees in transportation-related disciplines,” says the program’s webpage on the USDOT’s website. “This program advances the transportation workforce by attracting the brightest minds to the field through education, research and workforce development.”

Through the grant, Lewis has conducted research on medians and divided highways near Interstate 40 in Clemmons, a project for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Lewis is working with Dr. Russell Smith, associate professor of geography at WSSU, on the project.

In January, Lewis attended the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., along with other recipients. 

Lewis, who will graduate this month, says WSSU provided her with many experiences.

At WSSU, she worked as a business tutor in University College and Lifelong Learning (UCaLL) for one year and received membership into Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor society.

This semester, she interned in the City of Winston-Salem's Department of Transportation.

"WSSU has molded me into the person I am today," Lewis said. "I have gained compassion, understanding, and strength."

Lewis, a graduate of Mount Tabor High School, plans to continue her education in the sustainability graduate program at Wake Forest University. Long term, she says she would like to start a nonprofit organization.

Note: This is one of a series of articles highlighting WSSU's Class of 2018.