Connected Vehicle Infrastructure University Transportation Center
In the summer of 2014, Morgan State University’s National Transportation Center (NTC) hosted the Summer Transportation Institute (STI) through funding provided by the Maryland Department of Transportation, United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, and the Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center (CVI-UTC). The STI serves to attract high school students to participate in a STEM summer program and aims to address the nation’s need for a diverse pool of transportation professionals capable of developing long-term solutions to complicated intermodal transportation issues. In order to meet this goal, STI increases pre-college students’ awareness of transportation careers. The program also helps to enhance the students’ academic skills so they can be successful in careers in the transportation industry.
Twenty-two students from diverse backgrounds participated in the nonresidential program at Morgan State University from July 9-August 2, 2014. The four-week program provided a multidisciplinary academic curriculum, which included guest speaker presentations, computer laboratories, research, and field trips. The students had an opportunity to drive a car simulator. The students learned about all modes of transportation and gained leadership skills while working on team-building projects. Field trips included the Smart Road in Blacksburg, Virginia, Maryland Transit Administration, and Maryland Boat Pilots Association. In addition, the participants learned about college preparation and career planning.
Read the full report here.
The 2014 World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems saw record-breaking participation levels, with more than 270 sessions and 600 technical and scientific papers. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center showcased developments in ITS technology, featuring instrumented test beds, connected motorcycles and vehicle automation. On-site demonstrations included a connected motorcycle and level 2-3 automation led by Dr. Zac Doerzaph, Director of the Center for Advanced Automotive Research at VTTI, and Dr. Myra Blanco, Director of the Center for Public Policy, Partnerships, and Outreach at VTTI.
To learn more about the 2014 ITS World Congress, visit http://detroit2014.itsworldcongress.org/.
The Transportation Undergraduate Research Fellowship (TURF) is a 10-week training program currently in its first year. TURF is designed specifically to educate future Engineers, Computer Scientists and Psychologists who want to work in the field of transportation research. The experience offers undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in full-time research and related professional development activities that mirror graduate training. TURF is funded by the Connected Vehicles-Infrastructure University Transportation Center (CVI-UTC) which is one of sixteen research centers in the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).
Two students, Kayla Sykes and Annabel St. Louis, participated in the 2014 TURF program. Participants received a $4,000 stipend. Kayla Sykes’ research project “Using Driver Eye Glance Behavior to Determine Safety Implications of Adaptive In-vehicle Stop Displays” studied in-vehicle display systems to determine if any unintended safety consequences are associated with their use. Annabel St. Louis’ research project “An Evaluation of the AMES Profiler with Ro-Line Laser Sensor for the Measurement of Pavement Profile” aimed to verify the accuracy of an internal profiler that measures pavement condition.
Both undergraduate researchers presented their research at the Summer Research Symposium held on July 31, 2014 at the Graduate Life Center.
The CVI-UTC is made possible by a grant from the Research and Innovative Technology Administration at the U.S. DOT, and a consortium partnership between Virginia Tech, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the University of Virginia, and Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD.
Follow the link for more 2014 Summer Research Symposium undergraduate student research abstracts.
See pictures from the 2014 Summer Research Symposium on the Virginia Tech Undergraduate Research Facebook page.
The mission statement of the Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center (CVI-UTC) is to conduct research that will advance surface transportation through the application of innovative research and using connected-vehicle and infrastructure technologies to improve safety, state of good repair, economic competitiveness, livable communities, and environmental sustainability.
Dr. Thomas A. Dingus serves as the director for the CVI-UTC, as well as the director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and the National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence (NSTSCE). Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Dr. Dingus was founding director of the National Center for Transportation Technology at the University of Idaho and was an associate director of the Center for Computer-Aided Design at the University of Iowa. Dr. Dingus has more than 220 technical publications and has managed approximately $300 million in research funding to date ($130 million as principal investigator).
