Institute for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Management Announces First Lt. General Julius Becton Jr. Scholarship Recipients

ATLANTA – July 27, 2021 – The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management(I-DIEM) and Tidal Basin, LLC, a leading emergency management and disaster recovery consulting firm, congratulate C. Wendell Grinton Jr., Carmen Reed, and Daniella Plaza as recipients of the Lt. General Julius Becton Jr. Scholarship Program.

C.  Wendell Grinton Jr. is a Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD student in the Disaster Resilience and Risk Management (DRRM) Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University who aspires to utilize his scholarship to improve emergency and disaster public alerts and notifications to lessen the impacts of disasters among underserved communities. Carmen Reed, a PhD student in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University, aspires to focus on improving social infrastructures to ensure that underserved and marginalized populations are well-prepared for disasters in advance with emphasis on equitable distribution of resources. Daniella Plaza, a PhD student in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy from Texas State University, aims to focus on comprehensive recovery planning geared towards providing equality and healthy homes to combat environmental disparities.

Dedicated to increasing representation of women and people of color within the emergency management profession while supporting minority students in their educational journey, Grinton Jr., Reed, and Plaza are the program’s first scholarship recipients. “I-DIEM is delighted to award the Lt. General Julius Becton, Jr. scholarships to these phenomenal students! Each one has tremendous potential, and we are excited to support their journey,” says Chauncia Willis, I-DIEM Co-Founder and CEO.

The Lt. General Julius Becton Jr. Scholarship Program was developed in recognition of Lt. General Julius Becton Jr’s accomplishment as the first minority to serve as FEMA Director from 1985 to 1989.The scholarship is awarded annually to minority students in emergency management or homeland security-related fields of study at the associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels of study to assist with tuition-related expenses for the academic year.“General Becton developed a philosophy of management that includes ideals around integrity, professionalism, humility, and taking care of people on your team,” says Wes Becton, son of Lt. General Julius Becton, Jr. “We hope that this scholarship provides you with the opportunity to further your education and provide service to our country.”

Announced in June 2020 on Tidal Basin’s Disaster Recovery Roundtable podcast, the scholarship was supported by a $5,000.00 personal donation from Tidal Basin CEO, Daniel Craig, and an additional matching donation from Tidal Basin in support of the initiative. “As a sign of our commitment, we will provide this donation annually to demonstrate Tidal Basin’s commitment in supporting increased diversity in the profession,” said Craig. For more information on the Julius Becton Jr. Scholarship, visit Julius Becton Scholarship – I-DIEM. To donate to the future scholarship fund, please donate today Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management | Kindful.

About the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management

The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management is a 501(c)3, global non-profit organization established to facilitate change by integrating equity into all aspects of emergency management. Our focus is on humanity, and our vision support the empowerment of marginalized communities within all phases of the disaster management cycle.

About Tidal Basin

Tidal Basin is the nation’s leading emergency management and disaster recovery consulting firm providing deep programmatic and technical management experience and resources to governments, organizations, businesses, and communities. Our integrated disaster management solutions and expertise help our clients and partners achieve their disaster preparedness and recovery goals more effectively. Our understanding and ability to navigate all available funding sources enables us to provide maximum value by increasing the amount of funding our clients receive for programs that help improve their communities and businesses. To learn more about what we do and our team, visit tidalbasingroup.com.