Image credit: Jason Rogers, Driving Simulator Lab Manager, Department of Occupational Therapy/PHHP

A recent study published in the Occupational Therapy Journal of Research by researchers at UF found that certain automated vehicle technologies, such as lane departure warnings and adaptive cruise control, may help people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) improve their on-road driving performance. The study is the first of its kind to examine the efficacy of driver technologies on patients with mild to moderate PD. “This randomized clinical trial is the first to our knowledge that investigated the efficacy of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) on the driving performance of people with mild to moderate PD,” said the study’s principal investigator, Sherrilene Classen, Ph.D., professor and chair of the UF Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Public Health and Health Professions (PHHP). [Read more]

Image credit: Adobe Stock

A recent study by Gabriel Castelblanco, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management in the UF College of Design Construction and Planning, explores how including a variety of interested parties in the planning and execution of transportation infrastructure projects - primarily when they affect users' pockets, like toll roads - can ultimately lead to successful outcomes. As public funds decline due to lower gas taxes, more efficient vehicles, and the prevalence of electric cars, Castelblanco believes that crowdfunding will not only help fund transportation infrastructure projects but will also enable communities to feel a sense of support, ownership, and connection with a proposed project. [Read more]

Image credit: Renan Favero, doctoral student, UF Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering

Dewberry, a nationwide engineering, planning, design, and construction firm, visited UF on September 19 and held an exclusive information session at the J. Wayne Reitz to connect with and inspire future transportation engineers and planners to work for them. The visit drew a little more than 30 graduate and undergraduate students who were more than eager to attend this event to learn more about one of the nation’s leading engineering firms. R. Keith Jackson, PE (BSCE ‘87), an associate vice president and program manager with Dewberry, was pleased with the turnout and enthusiasm from students for career options within the consulting firm. [Read more]

Image credit: Scott Washburn, Ph.D., professor, UF Civil & Coastal Engineering/ESSIE

An updated version of HCM-CALC is now available. It features updates for the 7th edition of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), in addition to the new highway facility module developed under NCHRP Project 08-135. This new module also accommodates the new two-lane highway analysis methodology of the HCM 7th edition (developed from NCHRP Project 17-65). Additionally, the release includes an Urban Streets Planning module that can be used independently or integrated with the highway module to analyze arterial and rural highways. It also has the option to perform legacy Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) ArtPlan calculations. Download the latest version of the HCM-CALC at Releases · swash17/HCM-CALC (github.com).

Image credit: Xilei Zhao, Ph.D., assistant professor, UF Civil & Coastal Engineering/ESSIE

Xilei Zhao, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the UF Department of Civil Engineering in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, and Xiang 'Jacob' Yan, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the same department, kicked off this semester with a mini-symposium comprised of their talented students (Aubrey Dolbeck, Eliana Duarte, Sara Garces, Shangkun Jiang, Duanya Lyu, Mathew Mapa, Matto Nader, Sangung Park, Yiheng Qian, Faizur Rahman Himel, Ally Recalde, Joshua Salim, Yuran Sun, Thomas Veit, andd Xiaojian Zhan). The symposium's purpose was to share recent research updates, discuss submissions to the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), and exchange innovative ideas for advancing sustainable and equitable transportation systems. Zhao and Yan wish to thank the Center for Equitable Transit-Oriented Communities, which is a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grant-funded University Transportation Center (UTC) and the USDOT for their funding and support.

Do you know someone in the transportation industry ready to step into a leadership role? Help them accelerate their career by sharing this great opportunity!

The University of Florida offers an online master's degree program in civil engineering with a concentration in Transportation Leadership. The program offers students a curriculum that combines technical expertise with leadership skills, a program created with the working professional in mind who is looking for career advancement within the transportation field.

Core courses include Fundamentals of the Transportation Profession, Engineering Leadership, Fundamentals of Engineering Project Management, and Engineering Innovation. Students take an additional six online transportation-related courses.

So, if you know someone looking to upscale their career in the transportation industry, forward this newsletter to them and encourage them to apply.

We are here to help! For questions about the program, contact:

Siva Srinivasan, Ph.D.

Professor & Associate Director

University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI)

siva@ce.ufl.edu

Transportation Technology Transfer (T2) Center

By making your tax-deductible contribution, you can help power and move forward the Research, Education, Technology Transfer, and K-12 efforts at the UFTI.

University of Florida Transportation Institute

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