University Of Delaware: Sustainable Transportation

Wilmington DE

27 January, 2022

5:18 AM

Description

Press release from the University of Delaware: January 24, 2022 New summer engineering program for students to find sustainable solutions for transportation As world leaders gathered in the United Kingdom this fall to address the climate crisis, a team of researchers at the University of Delaware prepared to produce the next generation of sustainably minded engineers. "The impact of transportation on climate change is a complex problem that requires a diverse set of experts that can connect their research in innovative ways," said Tatar. "By partnering with these institutions, we can give these students and future engineers the opportunity to contribute to these important research-based solutions." In addition to this new REU Site in Sustainable, Resilient Transportation Systems, UD hosts three other REU summer programs in marine sciences, biomedical engineering foundations in "impactful research, science and technology" and a chemical sciences leadership initiative for students with disabilities. For this project, Tatar and Nejad have recruited several other UD professors to teach students to research the environmental footprint of products used in the world of transportation, biosourcing materials to move away from petroleum-based products, finding innovations for electric vehicle batteries and more. "Electric vehicles in general are an important piece of sustainability, at least in terms of decarbonization," said Assistant Professor Koffi Pierre Yao with UD's Department of Mechanical Engineering, who is exploring new types of battery systems to improve electric vehicle energy efficiencies. "The importance of this program is clear: It's training the next workforce of people who are going to do this work in the future, especially because we are and we need to transition so quickly. The benefit is obvious." Undergraduate students participating in the program will look at the climate change-driven problems in transportation through three main lenses: Electric and autonomous vehicles, green materials and structures, and resilient infrastructure. In each, there is a focus on reducing the environmental footprint of materials used in the transportation industry, from the vehicles themselves to roadways and infrastructure systems. "This is certainly an area where there's a need for real innovation," said Michael Chajes, civil and environmental engineering professor and dean of UD's Honors College. "The work here can have an impact on the state and more broadly on the nation." The program will include individualized and group experiences as students work with research mentors, graduate students and in UD laboratories. Field trips, professional development seminars and technical workshops, as well as social events and a journal club will also be included. All instruction will include a "transdisciplinary perspective" aimed at preparing students for graduate school and their future careers. This press release was produced by the University of Delaware. The views expressed here are the author's own.