San Jac earns recognition, steps into leadership role at Breakbulk Americas
The San Jacinto College logistics and supply chain management program took on a new leadership role at the 2026 Breakbulk Americas Conference, marking several firsts for the College at the global logistics industry event.
Breakbulk Americas Education Day was Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. San Jac brought a delegation of more than 130 students, including business career and technical education students from Channelview, Galena Park, and Sheldon ISDs.
For the first time, San Jac students entered the Education Day student research poster competition, with one of the College’s two teams earning second place and an $800 award.
Students Kitara Smolinski, Ana Morales, and Axel Cruz earned the recognition for “Building Tomorrow’s Port: Terminal Evolution After Channel Modernization,” which examines how Houston Ship Channel modernization is influencing terminal design and operations.
Students from San Jac’s partnering school districts also earned recognition in their first year participating. Teams from Galena Park and Channelview high schools received honorable mention certificates.
All competition posters were displayed for more than 6,000 conference attendees and featured online, extending the students’ research to a global industry audience.
Ivy Jenkins, professor of logistics and supply chain management, stepped into a new leadership role this year as co-chair of the Breakbulk Americas Education Day student research poster competition.
“The Breakbulk Americas Education Day provides an exceptional opportunity for our students and the high school students with whom we partner to gain valuable insight into the many career paths in logistics, transportation, and supply chain. The event also offers meaningful opportunities to network with industry professionals, executives, and decision-makers who can help them understand the real-world impact of their chosen field.”
Ivy Jenkins
professor of logistics and supply chain management
Jenkins co-chaired the competition alongside Margaret Kidd, San Jac business, logistics, and supply chain management department chair, and Dr. Cassia Galvao from Texas A&M University at Galveston.
Education Day typically attracts 350 to 400 students from area colleges and universities. Following the program, students will join more than 6,000 conference visitors on the show floor, connecting with engineering firms, port authorities, third-party logistics companies, and software solution providers from around the world.
San Jac also will be represented on the conference stage for the first time. Dr. John Wilson, San Jac economics professor, and Kidd spoke during the Future Thinkers Super Session, which brought industry leaders together to discuss the sector’s future.
Wilson participated in the Maritime and Ports segment and present his research on cybersecurity in port operations, while Kidd spoke during the Energy and Infrastructure segment.
“San Jacinto College sits on the Houston Ship Channel, and the terminals and companies along it move cargo the entire country depends on,” Wilson said. “Preparing the people who will run that system is central to what this college does. My own work on cyber risk in port operations keeps me at the table with the people who run and protect these operations, and those relationships come back to our students as opportunity.”
For Kidd, San Jac’s growing role at Breakbulk reflects industry recognition of the work taking place at the College and provides students with industry exposure that is particularly important in an applied bachelor’s degree program.
“Supply chain is a global business, and our students need to experience it that way,” Kidd said. “Breakbulk puts our students in the room, and on the showroom floor, with the companies, ports, technology providers, and logistics professionals shaping the future of the industry. We want our students to walk into these conversations knowing they belong, and knowing where their careers can take them.”
Jenkins said seeing faculty actively engaged in the industry helps students connect what they learn in the classroom with the careers they are preparing to enter.
“I believe it is vital for students to see their faculty actively engaged in industry events that align with their academic programs and future careers,” Jenkins said. “It demonstrates our commitment to student success and lifelong engagement with the logistics and supply chain industry.”
For San Jac students, the conference provides a chance to move beyond the classroom, build professional connections, showcase their work, and see firsthand where a career in logistics and supply chain management can take them.
About San Jacinto College Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today,
and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris
County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than
1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving
the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020 and 2026. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution
that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately
45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and
certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer
to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding
bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is
accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
