Research
The original Transportation Peak proposal envisions three major areas of research: vehicle, pavement infrastructure, and modeling and simulation.
Significant advances have been made in all three technical areas. Many of the projects are interdisciplinary and collaborative in nature in accordance with the peak's emphasis. Existing facilities, such as the National Center for Asphalt Technology, have been extensively utilized in research initiated by the new faculty.
Many new projects involve the interaction of vehicle with pavement and driving conditions and have already enhanced the reputation of Auburn University as a transportation center. Such cross-disciplinary efforts have resulted in a significant increase in extramural funding in transportation research from $4.3 million in FY1999 (the year before the establishment of the Peak) to nearly $16 million this year (FY2003) -- nearly a three-fold increase.
This also represents a significant increase in the fraction of transportation research relative to both the college and the entire university. Similar increases in publications, invited presentations and graduate students support have been observed in the past four years, all attributable to the quality of the new faculty.
