The following is text of a news release from the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College:
(STAMFORD, Conn.) — The top three prizes for in the Connecticut Maritime Association’s 2018 Research Competition were awarded to SUNY Maritime College graduate students.
Each year, the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) hosts a competition sponsored by D’Amico Shipping Group that awards students for research presentations based around the maritime industry. The competition was designed to expose the industry and the students to each other’s research and interests.
The three students are each working toward a master of science in international transportation management, and have been mentored by Dr. Shmuel Yahalom, professor in the Department of Global Business and Transportation. The students are Andreas Stasinopoulos of Greece, Tajae Harripersad of Trinidad and Tobago, and Erika Stetson of Astoria, N.Y.
“I’d like to congratulate the winners, as well as the program’s coordinator, Professor Sam Yahalom, on shepherding our students to success at CMA,” said Dr. Joseph Hoffman, provost and vice president of academic affairs at SUNY Maritime College. “Their ability to examine critically and analyze the complex issues facing the maritime industry will help them to think creatively to find innovative and workable solutions throughout their careers.”
This year, students submitted more than a dozen papers from six universities nationwide for consideration in the competition. They were judged by four maritime industry professionals and four academics. Since the competition’s inception, 80 papers from more than 30 colleges and universities across the country have been submitted. In that time, 13 students from SUNY Maritime have been among the competition’s top three students.
Stasinopoulos was awarded the third-place prize. Stasinopoulos’ research paper focused on voyage profile analysis and virtual arrival practices that would reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Harripersad, who placed second, investigated the impacts of port privatization in the business of shipping.
Stetson won the top prize. Her paper was a New York Harbor case study that focused on maximizing marine bunker barge fleet efficiency.
The three students presented their work and were recognized at the Connecticut Maritime Association’s annual conference in Stamford, Conn.
