Contact: Jim Laird
Mississippi State's chief research officer will welcome federal, state and local officials, economic developers, and industry representatives and executives to campus on Tuesday [Feb. 21] for the 2012 Transportation and Economic Symposium: Transportation for Mississippi's Sustainable Economic Growth.
David Shaw, vice president for research and economic development at the land-grant institution, will be joined by Mississippi Development Authority executive director Jim Barksdale and Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman for the opening session in Bost Extension Center at 12:30 p.m.
"We anticipate a very productive gathering that will help participants identify opportunities for sustaining and growing Mississippi's transportation centers while preserving livable communities and environmental quality," said Northern Gulf Institute co-director and MSU research professor Bill McAnally, who is coordinating the symposium.
Mississippi Department of Transportation executive director Melinda McGrath, a Mississippi State alumna, will moderate a roundtable discussion of that agency's 25-year vision with the state's three elected transportation commissioners -- Mike Tagert, Dick Hall and Tom King -- at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
Other activities include panel discussions on multi-modal success stories and future challenges and opportunities, a reception and poster session, brainstorming breakouts and networking opportunities that conclude at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday [Feb. 22].
More than 200 attendees are expected, McAnally said.
In addition to MSU, co-hosts of the event are Pickering Firm Inc., MDA and MDOT.
For additional information, please contact McAnally at mcanally@ngi.msstate.edu or 662-325-2809.
Mississippi State University is online at www.msstate.edu.