Civil & Environmental Engineering Professors to Support $3M U.S. Department of Transportation Grant
Dr. Nikola Markovich and Dr. Abbas Rashidi, professors in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department (CvEEN) at the University of Utah, are part of a consortium awarded a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Their portion of the funding will be approximately $500,000. The two CvEEN professors’ combined expertise in machine vision (MV), artificial intelligence (AI), and optimization algorithms (OA) will be integral to the success of the DOT initiative.
On September 30, 2024, the DOT announced $2.97 million in funding for the establishment of the Mobility Equity Research Center at Florida A&M University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). This new center, named ACCESS-M (Advancing Community-Centric Equitable Systems and Solutions in Mobility), aims to support the department’s mission of expanding accessibility and mobility for underserved populations, including people with disabilities, older adults, Tribal Nations, and rural and disadvantaged communities.
ACCESS-M will spearhead research and develop technologies to enhance transportation and infrastructure in historically underserved communities. The center’s research approach is built on three core pillars: policy, technology, and operations. Drs. Markovich and Rashidi will help to bridge technology and operations pillars by using MV, AI, and OA to improve the mobility of goods and people as well as the related infrastructure.
In collaboration with partner institutions—including Arizona State University, Florida State University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Utah—ACCESS-M will drive transportation research and solutions that improve mobility equity nationwide.
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