News

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded nearly $2 million to a national research consortium that includes lead institution Ohio State University as well as the University of California-Irvine and the University of Texas at Austin. The grant will create a new Tier 1 University Transportation Center (UTC). According to the DOT, these centers aim to “advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing our nation.”

Over 80 percent of annual car crashes could be prevented by vehicular  communications, a recent NHTSA report demonstrates. To improve vehicular communications and substantially improve safety benefits for all, TxDOT funded the Communications and Radar-Supported Transportation Operations and Planning (CAR-STOP).

Four Texas ECE faculty were recognized in Thomson Reuters’ list of Highly Cited Researchers in 2015 for exceptional impact in their fields. They are Prof. Jeffrey Andrews, Prof. Al Bovik, Prof. Robert Heath, and Prof. Sriram Vishwanath. This is the second consecutive year on the list for all four researchers.

In 2013, 32,719 fatalities resulted from traffic crashes, most of which were caused by driver error. Across the globe, people are facing longer commutes and five Texas communities are in the top 26 most congested cities in the United States. Traffic congestion creates about 4.8 billion hours of travel delay and affects the environment through increased carbon footprints and higher fuel consumption.

Six professors and one adjunct associate professor from the Cockrell School of Engineering have been included in the Thomson Reuters list of Highly Cited Researchers for 2014. This list recognizes many of the world’s leading scientific minds, and the strong Cockrell School representation illustrates UT Austin’s growing influence on the global research landscape. Four of these professors come from the Deprtment of Electrical and Computer Engineering (UT ECE) and the Wireless Networking and Communications Group (WNCG).