The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) is among 30 institutions nationwide selected to host a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 1999 Summer Transportation Institute. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater announced the institute sites last week.
The institute will allow TTI, in partnership with Texas A&M University, Texas Southern University in Houston and Paul Quinn College in Dallas, to promote transportation as a viable career option to the youth of Texas.
TTI’s summer institute will introduce Texas middle and high school students to transportation systems, innovations in transportation, management of transportation systems, construction skills, research and technology. The program will offer students time with researchers and instructors on all three campuses, including field trips to transportation facilities.
Beverly Kuhn, TTI’s Director for Professional Capacity Building says the program will help TTI foster and enhance the development of knowledge, skills and (more) abilities of existing and future transportation professionals.
“Only by reaching students in K-12, can we hope to encourage them to pursue transportation as a career and prevent losing many bright minds to other high-tech professions,” Kuhn said. “Early exposure to transportation is critical if we are to have an adequate workforce in the 21st century.”
The summer program complements another U.S. Department of Transportation national educational initiative, the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program, which was designed to improve students’ math, science and technological skills, strengthen links between the transportation sector and community colleges, junior colleges, and technical schools, and expand transportation programs at undergraduate and graduate institutions.
The Institute will receive assistance from the FHWA, local chapters of the National Urban League, the Texas Department of Transportation, private sector companies and other federal agencies.
TTI is the largest university-affiliated transportation research agency in the U.S. Numerous TTI innovations have helped to save lives, time and money for motorists throughout the nation.