Amanda Katz Receives Expanded Project Funding from ASPIRE

Assistant Professor Amanda Katz was awarded over $39,000 to continue teaching and researching as a member of USU's ASPIRE research faculty. ASPIRE, a National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center, focuses on electrified transportation and roadway infrastructure. Professor Katz has been an ASPIRE faculty researcher for two years now, and the funds awarded support her co-teaching ASPIRE’s cross-disciplinary Transportation Policy course to students at USU, Purdue University, and the University of Texas, El Paso. Additionally, the funds support Katz’s research on historical trends that assist in identifying potential demonstration sites for electrified roads and in considering risk assessment and asset management concerns. 

A portion of the NSF funds were set aside for Katz to hire student researchers. This year, undergraduate History and Environmental Studies student Isabella Clark is working with Katz to identify key Department of Transportation (DOT) officials at the state level. This is in preparation for interviewing members of state DOTs that might be willing to collaborate with ASPIRE in facilitating demonstration projects regarding transportation and roadway electrification.