CCAT Associate Director joins USDOT-funded Build America Center

Photo of CCAT Associate Director, Samuel Labi, presenting to the Indiana Department of Transportation. — Dr. Samuel Labi presents research to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)

Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a $5 million award to the University of Maryland to create the Build America Center. The Center will offer educational programs, information, and resources for transportation agencies in alternative and innovative project financing and delivery.

The Center is led by the University of Maryland with four other universities serving as regional leads including Georgia Institute of Technology, Purdue, Stanford, and Virginia Tech. The Rebel Group also serves as a partner of the Center. The Center will support the Build America Bureau and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to develop new approaches to financing a modern U.S. infrastructure. CCAT Associate Director, Samuel Labi, will serve as the Director of Purdue’s participation in the grant. As part of the Build America Center’s activities, Dr. Labi’s research includes an impact assessment of connected and automated highway environments on infrastructure funding needs.

“Purdue’s role will include quantifying the funding-related challenges and opportunities. This will be estimated not only for the current era but also for the foreseeable future that will be characterized by emerging transportation technologies including automation, connectivity, electric propulsion, new data analytics, and innovative materials.”
Samuel Labi, Ph.D., Associate Director
Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT)

You can learn more about the Build America Center by viewing the press release from the U.S. Department of Transportation or the Build America Center website.