NEUTC congratulates Dr. Bryan Reimer on his appointment to the FAA’s HF Task Force ARC, recognizing his leadership in transportation safety and human-technology interaction.
NEUTC held a two-day Connecting Communities Workshop, fostering important conversations about the importance of applying a community-centered approach to public outreach and engagement for transportation research. The workshop had visitors from MassDOT and real projects to create community centered plans.
In early January UMass student, Tolu Oke was awarded Student of the Year by the Council of University Transportation Centers. Her research, which focuses on pedestrian safety around transit bus stops consists of three stages. After completing her Ph.D., she plans to continue her career as an independent consultant, educator, and researcher.
MassDOT and UMass partnered for a student-employee exchange program. Students will have the chance to participate in hands-on learning at MassDOT, whilst MassDOT employees have the opportunity to partake in UMass learning and research.
UMass professors of engineering Shannon Roberts and Anuj Pradhan are working towards teaching teens driving safety. Research is being conducted through a series of training programs at UMass' Human Performance Lab, Toyota Risk-ATTEND programs, and high-tech eye tracking glasses.
Connecticut Department of Transportation is researching road marking and retro reflectivity with a brand-new pickup truck that collects data from highway lines. The vehicle is equipped with strobes, cameras, and sensors that allow it to determine which lines need to be repainted. Dr. Eric Jackson from UConn serves as the site director within the NEUTC consortium.
Researchers from UMass are studying road safety with drones in Somerville, a projected being funded by NEUTC. Leading the research effort is Dr. Eleni Christofa, a Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department.