Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern Universities Announce Major Advancements in the Area of Transportation

Prairie View A&M is the first HBCU to lead a National Transportation Center; Texas Southern awarded $2.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation

The Greater Houston area has a lot to be proud of when it comes to the educational pedigree of two of the nation’s top Historically Black College & Universities (HBCUs)—Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and Texas Southern University (TSU).

Recent news coming out of both HBCUs, in the area of transportation, should not only have their alumni, administration, faculty, and current student body excited, but it should also make Greater Houston area residents proud of these historic and progressive educational institutions.

To start, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently notified the Texas Congressional delegation that Prairie View A&M was selected to lead a historic national-tier University Transportation Center (UTC).

Joined by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), and Texas A&M University, Prairie View A&M will lead the National Center for Infrastructure Transformation, which will focus on enhancing the durability and extending the life of the nation’s infrastructure.

Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, who has encouraged the universities and agencies of the A&M System to work together in applying for federal programs, praised the historic result.

“Prairie View is the first HBCU to lead a national UTC, and we are proud to bring this to Texas, particularly when the national centers have historically been on the East and West coasts,” said Chancellor Sharp. “This is what can be accomplished when we combine the research expertise of one of our universities with the resources of the A&M System, and this team will achieve a great result for the state of Texas and the nation.”

The National Center for Infrastructure Transformation will receive $4 million per year for five years and is one of only five awarded national-tier centers. With strong capabilities to address the infrastructure issues of both urban and rural areas across all transportation modes, the work of this innovative center will improve durability and resilience across the country for years to come.

“I am delighted that this award has put Prairie View A&M University’s long-held transportation research expertise on the national stage,” said Dr. Judy Perkins, P.E., who will serve as center director. “Prairie View A&M University’s leadership, expertise, and spirit of innovation will, as the Center’s name suggests, work to transform our nation’s infrastructure over the next five years and beyond.”

Along with TTI, TEES, and Texas A&M, Prairie View A&M is joined in the consortium by Rutgers University, Michigan State University, Arizona State University and Blinn College.

Additionally, TTI’s Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health received funding of $2 million per year for five years. This re-award is recognition of the center’s proven track record and will continue its high-quality research at the intersection of transportation and public health that began in 2016.

Texas A&M System member universities and agencies, including Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, TEES, and TTI, were part of five additional successful UTC proposals led by other university partners.

Other exciting news in the area of transportation involves Texas Southern being awarded $2.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation for new Transportation Centers.

TSU’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology (COSET) earned three grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation totaling nearly $3 million for transportation infrastructure research over the next five years.

“Being awarded $2.8 million in federal research awards is a reflection of the work being done daily by the faculty, staff, and students in the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology and the Transportation Department,” said Dr. Wei Wayne Li, acting dean of COSET. “Our effort and time in conducting innovative research is turning out to be a great success in terms of federal grant awards, publications, and student training, which significantly increases TSU’s visibility on the way toward Research 1 from current Research 2 status.”

The grants are part of an $87 million national award from the U.S. Department of Transportation to 34 University Transportation Centers (UTC) to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing our nation.

The UTCs, which are located throughout the United States, conduct research that directly supports the priorities of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The participating universities and teams are a critical part of our national transportation strategy.

“Texas Southern University remains committed to providing research-based solutions for Houston and beyond,” said Dr. Michelle Penn-Marshall, vice president for research and innovation. “Transportation is a critical issue that impacts everyone from the urban core to the suburbs. We are proud of the work our transportation department has done over the years to address transportation issues, and we look forward to the transformative work that will take place at these new centers that we know will enable our researchers to do even more to impact our region, our state, and our nation.”

TSU’s grant awards include $1.8 million for a National UTC, a regional UTC worth $625 thousand, and a tier-1 UTC for $375 thousand totaling $2.8 million dollars.

The National UTC research is for sustainable transportation, which will focus on preserving the environment. The TSU portion of the project will be administered through the Innovative Transportation Research Institute (ITRI), directed by Dr. Lei Yu, professor of Transportation Studies and director of the TSU Innovative Transportation Research Institute (ITRI).
“TSU is honored to join the highly prestigious team of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST) and is truly excited for the great opportunity for our faculty, researcher, and students to make contributions to research and education that promote a sustainable and equitable transportation development,” said Dr. Yu.

A regional UTC called “Southern Plains Transportation Center” is for Improving the durability and extending the life of transportation infrastructure. TSU portion of the project is administered through the Center for Transportation Training and Research (CTTR). The research will focus on intensive freight movement through Region 6 and the interface between inland ports and neighborhoods.

“We are excited that with the recent USDOT transportation centers’ awards,” said Dr. Gwendolyn Goodwin, assistant professor, and co-director of the CTTR. “TSU’s CTTR will begin its 35th year conducting important innovative research to address local and national transportation challenges. Our students will actively participate in these research projects, better preparing them to begin and advance their careers, which is invaluable.”

The Tier 1 UTC, called “Connected Communities for Smart Mobility Toward Accessible and Resilient Transportation for Equitably Reducing Congestion,” is overseen by the Department of Transportation.

“TSU’s team is thrilled to join the C2SMART center to conduct research on innovative intersection designs to reduce the congestion on our existing roadways,” said by Dr. Yi Qi, the chairperson of the Department of Transportation Studies.
Both Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern continue to be trailblazers and innovators, not just in the area of transportation, but in many facets of research and industry.

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