September 19, 2003

Distinguished Speakers Reflect on History of Institute Now Located at NCSU

- from ITRE Communications

Mr. David King (left) and Dr. Nagui M. Rouphail		Mr. Edd Hauser
(Photos: submitted by ITRE Communications)

Raleigh, NC - David King, deputy secretary for multi-modal of NCDOT honored The Institute for Transportation, Research and Education (ITRE) on Wednesday at the Institute's 25th anniversary celebration. He spoke of the respected and successful relationship that NCDOT and ITRE continue to foster through training programs and joint ventures in research in transportation since the institute's inception 25 years ago. Felix Joyner, retired vice president of finance at UNC general administration also joined a distinguished list of speakers at the event. Joyner fondly reminisced about his career in the UNC system since 1968, and reflected on ITRE being established in 1978, shortly after the creation of the 16-campus system in 1971. ITRE began as an idea with only 5 employees and $200 thousand dollars and was originally housed in the Research Triangle Park. The associate vice president for state governmental affairs for UNC office of the president, Mark Flemming also provided insights into the growth of ITRE over the past quarter century as it has settled into its present location, after several moves, in 1996 on Centennial Campus at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. In 2003, the staff numbers 44 full-time employees and 6 or more graduate research students. In the past year, ITRE had over 100 initiatives and over $5.5 million in expenditures.

Dr. Nagui M. Rouphail, director of ITRE since 2001 and professor of Civil Engineering at the university, welcomed ITRE advisory council members, Ed Vick, chairman and past president of Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.; Tommy Harrelson, chairman of the advisory council, former NCDOT secretary and a governmental affairs lobbyist in the North Carolina General assembly, and former ITRE director, Edd Hauser, also a ITRE council member. Hauser is now director of OTPS at UNC-Charlotte. Gorman Gilbert now living in Oklahoma was not able to attend at the last minute, but sent a few fond memories from his directorship during the 1980's. He remembers ITRE's achievement of being awarded six million dollars from congress for research initiatives as well as ITRE coming together as a family and sheltering those during a Hurricane.

Co-sponsored by the Transportation Founders Fund, the event gathered prominent community leaders, partners, past and current employees and other individuals that have played a role in making the institute what it is today. ITRE has a long history of public service to the state of North Carolina, the university, and the nation in surface transportation. The open house was a gathering of old and new faces greeting and reminiscing as well as a display of exhibits of the programs most prominent activities, accomplishments, plans and capabilities for the future. A more in depth look into the programs, achievements, training, research and history is available on ITRE's Web site: http://www.itre.ncsu.edu/ITREmain/history/.

The Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) is a university-based institute, administered by NC State University and located on Centennial Campus. The institute is committed to leadership in the study of surface transportation issues through fostering analytical thinking, integrating technology in education and research, serving as a catalyst for problem solving, and cultivating professionals and students dedicated to excellence in transportation. ITRE conducts research, education, and technical assistance projects on a variety of surface transportation issues. The institute's programs include the Center for Transportation and the Environment, Highways Systems and Safety, Public Transportation, Geographical Information Systems/Municipal Technical Services, the NC Local Technical Assistance Program, Pupil Transportation programs. Research covers many transportation related studies such as low emissions, roundabout crossings for blind pedestrians, red light running photo enforcement,walkability level of service and the new highway capacity manual, accelerating highway improvements for North Carolina's Research Triangle Area, truck crashes on NC highways, driver's education video, study for guidelines and criteria for establishing school walk zones, using GPS systems to improve bus scheduling and the development of traffic signal training and testing center, and much more. Training programs range from principles of engineering review, to context sensitive solutions, to work zone safety.  

The Transportation Founders Fund (TFF) is a unique opportunity for transportation professionals to interact personally with top-level transportation executives and at the same time to support the transportation program at NC State University (NCSU). The TFF is an outreach activity of the NCSU Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) and the Department of Civil Engineering.

Once each academic year, the TFF invites to campus a nationally renowned transportation executive for a two-day visit. TFF awards graduate fellowships annually through the Department of Civil Engineering. In addition, TFF began offering a named seminar series in 2002. These seminars bring in experts to the NC State campus to brief students and area transportation professionals on current transportation topics.

To learn more about ITRE's research, becoming a member of the Transportation Founder's Fund, or in the transportation related training ITRE offers, please visit ITRE's Web site: http://www.itre.ncsu.edu/>www.itre.ncsu.edu.

- ljg -

Media Contact: Lisa Gullette, ITRE Communications, 919-515-8039, lisa_gullette@ncsu.edu

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