Why one SC State graduate student is devoted to safer roads

What happened to Stephen Paul’s brother fuels his research and keeps his focus on making roads safer for everyone.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Before Stephen Paul ever opened a research journal or stepped into a lab at South Carolina State University, he learned the human cost of poor road safety.

Sixteen years ago, a car accident in Tanzania left his brother, Noel, with both legs broken and lasting pain, an impact Paul has never been able to forget.

“My brother got into a car accident, and it broke both his legs,” he said. “They put these metal rods in his legs, and this completely changed his life.”

His brother had built a career that required mobility.

“He used to work as a tour guide where he had to walk long distances with people,” Paul said. “He had to quit that career because he couldn't walk long distances anymore. During cold weather, he still feels pain in his legs to this day.”

The experience reshaped Paul’s view of vehicle crashes forever.

“Seeing how this changed his life, like, gave me a personal commitment to make sure that this kind of tragedy doesn't happen to other people,” he said. “Because it made me see that each accident that we see, it's not just statistics, not just a number. It's a family, it's a person whose life will never be the same again.”

That perspective guides him now as a graduate research assistant and master’s candidate in transportation and highway engineering at SC State.

From Tanzania to Orangeburg, and a step toward his goal

Paul completed his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Dar es Salaam before deciding to pursue specialized graduate study. SC State aligned with his goals and opened the door.

“There are a lot of opportunities here,” he said. “First is my interest in pursuing transportation. I felt that getting my master's degree is going to get me closer to my dream of ensuring transportation safety.

“I got a chance -- I got a scholarship here as a graduate research assistant, and this was one step closer to me achieving my dreams,” Paul said.

 Guidance and research experience that matter

Paul works under the supervision of SC State’s Dr. Judith Mwakalonge, whose mentorship he describes as transformative. The research process was foreign territory at first, but Mwakalonge has been instrumental in lighting a path. 

“At first, I didn't know the tools. I was not able to even search for papers the right way, and she has shown us the trail,” Paul said. 

The support is steady and purposeful.

“She knows that we're learning, and whenever we have any issue, any trouble, she shows us how to go through that,” he said. “And she kind of teaches us to be able to be independent, to be able to do things, whenever we face problems, to be able to solve them by ourselves, which is a very nice thing, which we really appreciate.” 

Through that research experience, Paul hopes to contribute meaningfully to his field.

“Through that, I hope to publish a lot of papers, a lot of research, and kind of make a difference to my community,” he said. 

A future shaped by a past he will never forget

“When I finish up, I want to pursue a career in transportation safety,” Paul said. “I plan to be a traffic engineer, and in that, we believe, I'll be playing a big role in ensuring safety. I will play part in ensuring better designs in our roads, better policies, and ensuring just safer systems for everyone using our roads.”

He hopes to apply his skills in the United States after graduation and then return to Africa.

“So, after I finish here, I'll have a chance to practice right here in the United States, and after that, yes, I will go home and implement more of that -- share the stories, share the experience, and just make Tanzania a better place,” he said. 

The accident that injured his brother still fuels his purpose.

“If I could play parts to make sure that this doesn't happen to reduce the accidents as much as possible, yes, I will do my best,” Paul said. “And through the route that I'm taking right now, it's the best route ever.”

For more information about SC State’s Master of Science in Transportation degree program, visit www.scsu.edu/transportation.