News and Events

On November 16, the Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2) hosted a data competition at North Carolina A&T State University. Over the course of three months, six interdisciplinary teams worked to design data-driven solutions addressing critical accessibility challenges in Rockingham County, focusing on the towns of Reidsville and Wentworth.

The challenge centered on accommodating 4,000 new households (9,000 residents) while improving access to transportation infrastructure, fresh food options, emergency services, and affordable housing. Participants analyzed current accessibility barriers, identified root causes, and proposed actionable plans to foster equity and connectivity.

Led by Dr. Venktesh Pandey of NC A&T’s College of Engineering, the competition culminated with final presentations evaluated by an expert panel, including:

• James B. Harrington, TD Bank

• Rongfang Liu, UPS Endowed Professor and Director of the Transportation Institute, NC A&T State University

• Maranda McBride, Co-Director of the Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2) and Professor at NC A&T State University

• Raunak Mishra, Transportation Planning Safety Engineer at Greensboro Department of Transportation

• Meggan Odell, Senior Director of Transit Services at Aging, Disability, and Transit Services, Rockingham County

• Matthew Palm, Assistant Professor and Cities Pardue Fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill

• Sarah Searcy, Emerging Technologies & Innovation Manager at the North Carolina Department of Transportation

Winners

• First Place: Oladimeji Alaka, Ridwan Tiamiyu, Komal Gulati, Andre Flores-Fletes,

• Second Place: Zora McKoy, Brionna Findley, Neely Woodroffe

• Third Place: Neil Deshpande, Yaw Afrane Amankwah, David J. Quansah, Pal Dave

The data competition reflects CR2C2’s mission to advance rural and regional connectivity through education and research. Congratulations to all participants for their outstanding work in creating meaningful change! A special thank you to our sponsor, TD Bank, and our community partners, Aging, Disability & Transit Services and Rockingham County, North Carolina.

For more about CR2C2 Data Competition, visit https://www.cr2c2.com/education-and-outreach/student-engagement-opportunities/data-competition-2024