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The Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $2 million for the creation of a new University Transportation Center (UTC) with a national focus, led by the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM). The mission of DOT's UTC Program is to "advance U.S. technology and expertise in the many disciplines comprising transportation through the mechanisms of education, research and technology transfer at university-based centers of excellence.”

Tentatively named the MI-OH (Michigan/Ohio) UTC, the UTC will combine the resources of five leading universities in Michigan and Ohio to address transportation issues that are critical to this important hub of transportation as well as to the nation. UDM will be the lead university for a consortium that also includes Grand Valley State University and Wayne State University in Michigan and the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

The MI-OH UTC will employ a strategy of "transportation as a vehicle for economic development" through the development of knowledge, education and technology transfer. The Center's initial three focal areas are:

• Alternate Energy—Continuing dependence on high-cost, nonrenewable fossil fuels imported from politically unstable regions of the world is a threat to the future development, security, and effective use of the transportation network in the U.S. The UTC will focus on research and commercialization to develop and distribute renewable, homegrown, low-polluting energy sources to support transportation.
• Infrastructure Utilization—Growing demand for transportation is stretching current infrastructure to, and in many cases beyond, its capacity. By 2020, the demand for moving freight is expected to increase by more than 50%. Expanding infrastructure by itself may not be an effective solution because it is expensive and consumes valuable land that could be used for agriculture, recreation and commerce.
• Supply Chains—The emergence of supply chains and sophisticated distribution systems is placing new demands on transportation. Understanding transportation's role in this new paradigm and adapting transportation systems to meet the needs of suppliers, manufacturers and customers is fundamentally important for economic development.

Dr. Leo E. Hanifin, Dean of UDM's College of Engineering and Science, has been named director of the MI-OH UTC. Hanifin has extensive experience leading both research and educational organizations and developing coalitions of academic and industrial organizations. He was previously director of the Center for Manufacturing Productivity and Technology Transfer, a 300-person research center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also served as director of the Greenfield Coalition, an engineering coalition funded by the National Science Foundation that included over a dozen academic institutions, corporations and engineering societies. Hanifin is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Engineering Society of Detroit.

"Through the combined resources and efforts of these five exceptional universities and key government and industrial partners, the MI-OH UTC will not only advance generation and education in key areas of transportation, but we will have a direct impact on the economic development of our region and the competitive strength of its companies," Hanifin commented.

"The Center will intimately involve local and state government agencies for transportation, and corporations of all sizes that support transportation through their research, services and products. These agencies and companies will provide important advice on the operation and research and educational foci, and will partner with the MI-OH UTC in specific research, educational and technology transfer programs," Hanifin added.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is excited to see such a partnership. "This level of federal support is critical to advancing transportation research in areas with great economic impact for Michigan and the nation," said Michigan Department of Transportation Chief Deputy Director Kirk Steudle.

"MDOT welcomes the formation and funding of a coalition of academia, government and industry focused on examining how we use alternative energy to support transportation; adapt transportation systems to meet the needs of suppliers, manufacturers and customers; and make better use of our transportation infrastructure. MDOT is pleased to partner with the MI-OH UTC, and its director, Dr. Leo Hanifin, in responding to these important state and national priorities," he added.

The partnership of several key institutions and organizations is key to the Center's success. NextEnergy is a nonprofit corporation founded to enable the commercialization of energy technologies that positively contribute to economic competitiveness, energy security, and the environment. NextEnergy CEO James A. Croce said, "We are committed to supporting the UTC in its alternative energy research and helping it to achieve success and maximize its impact on the region.”

Content for this article originated from a University of Detroit Mercy press release