MassDOT Undersecretary Gets Bird’s-Eye View of Transportation Research on Campus

Content

This story was first published by the UMass News Office.

The drone bobbed and weaved (and sometimes darted) around the Riccio College of Engineering quad as Samantha Silverberg, Massachusetts undersecretary of transportation policy, flew the small, unoccupied aircraft. She was surrounded by a group of visiting community college students who also tried their hand at using the aerial vehicle, learning how the technology is used for research at the UMass Transportation Center (UMTC).

The interactive demonstration on June 23 was led by the UMTC group UMassAir, which provides drone pilots and technology to support a bird’s-eye view for research purposes. For instance, drones have been used to study interactions between motor vehicles and cyclists in Somerville in research led by Eleni Chrisofa, professor of civil and environmental engineering. 

Silverberg was on campus to learn about the university’s transportation research and to meet with students from both across the commonwealth and the country. Students from Bunker Hill and Holyoke community colleges were on campus for the day to learn about the transportation sector, a field that accounts for one in 10 jobs in the U.S. Silverberg highlighted the benefits of working in transportation because it has diverse roles and tremendous impacts on climate, health, the economy and housing while connecting people to work, school, healthcare, grocery stores and other people.

She also met with undergraduates who are on campus this summer as part of a RIDE Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. RIDE REU is a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded program that gives students a 10-week, immersive and interdisciplinary experience in transportation research. The students shared their research topics, which included improving signage around construction zones to increase safety, understanding the role of transportation for nutrition and food access, and using AI for knowledge retention in the DOT.

The tour also included the university’s driving simulator, which is used to study realistic driving behaviors in dangerous scenarios without putting people on real roads. The simulator has been used to assess the impact of risk-anticipation training on the driving behavior of new drivers, monitoring eye-and-foot responsiveness to incoming driving hazards in research led by Shannon Roberts and Anuj Pradham, associate professors of mechanical and industrial engineering and co-directors of the driving simulator.

“The research underway across the UMTC is really helping shape the future of transportation, and of particular excitement is the real-world applications of our research, which is often implemented in some fashion upon completion,” said Michael Knodler, director of the UMTC and William W. Boyer Endowed Professor of Engineering in the Riccio College of Engineering.

Silverberg sat down with UMTC faculty members to learn about this research. Topics included bridges and bridge maintenance using 3D printing, how social equity considerations can be incorporated into infrastructure management decisions, and understanding the role of automated vehicles in the trucking industry.

“It was a pleasure to meet with students and researchers today and discuss how their work is contributing to a safer, smarter and more sustainable transportation network,” Silverberg said. “MassDOT values our partnership with UMass as an avenue for research, innovation and the next generation of transportation leaders. Thanks to the close relationships between researchers and practitioners, I am confident that the projects underway at UMTC—from truck safety to teen driving to building materials—will provide data and evidence to drive new and improved policies and practices in the field.”