CSU Pueblo Unveiled the New Southern Colorado Institute of Transportation Technology During a Press Conference on Thursday, July 7th
Release Date: July 07, 2022
PUEBLO – A new institute at Colorado State University Pueblo will support the modernization of transportation infrastructure. The university unveiled the new Southern Colorado Institute of Transportation Technology (SCITT) during a press conference Thursday. The institute will grow the local economy and develop students into the next generation of transportation experts.
The institute is charged with conducting research related to the safety, security and innovation of railroad, ground, and intermodal transportation, as well as general issues related to the state’s transportation challenges and opportunities. The institution must also support government and academic surface transportation research and will act as a competitive funding resource for Colorado businesses that are developing and testing transportation technologies.
According to CSU Pueblo President, Dr. Timothy Mottet: “Rail, and other steel products manufactured in Pueblo helped build railroads and industries that settled the West. The expansion of the railroads contributed to the growth of Pueblo and ensured we’d be the largest industrial center, west of the Mississippi. With the opening of the Southern Colorado Institute of Transportation Technology, CSU Pueblo stands ready for the next evolution in industrial, creative and workforce development.”
CSU Pueblo is a member of a coalition of universities, The Center for Surface Transportation Testing and Academic Research (C-STTAR), led by ENSCO, Inc., tasked with solving intermodal surface transportation challenges across the nation. CSU Pueblo and the new institute will work in cooperation with other leading research institutions, including Oregon State University, the University of Hawaii, the Univesity of Nebraska-Lincoln and Michigan State Univesity in a multi-faceted effort to study infrastructural deficiencies and develop transportation that meets the needs of the future.
Provost Dr. Mohamed Abdelrahman said CSU Pueblo, which is renowned for its College of Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics, is a natural fit for the institute’s new home.
“A number of our existing programs have already prepared our students to enter into the exciting new world of transportation technology studies,” he said. “In turn, we are preparing the next generation of students to solve the challenges of transportation into the 21st century and beyond. The institute will now serve as the hub for this work, bringing it all together to provide new research opportunities, create new programs, and spur economic development across the region and the southwest United States.”
As part of Thursday's announcements, the university named the institute’s inaugural director, Dr. Md Rashad Islam, an associate professor from the School of Engineering, and a licensed civil engineer. Dr. Islam is an award-winning professor who holds a Ph.D. in civil (transportation) engineering from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Islam has earned a cadre of recognitions, including the University Faculty Award for Scholarship & Creative Activity (2022), Outstanding Faculty for the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (2021) and Excellence in Research for the College of Engineering, Education and Professional Studies (2020). He chaired the university Scholarly Activity Board, sits on the University Faculty Senate, and also is the CSU Pueblo faculty representative on the CSU System Board of Governors.
Dr. Islam said he is eager to spearhead the institute, which is a convergence, he says, of his entire career.
“When I was applying for this position, the single sentence I highlighted is that I am committed to making this institute the pioneer and a responsive leader in transportation education, training and research, while preserving the environment in the State of Colorado,” Islam said.
“As the inaugural director, I promise that the institute will guide research and steward every tax dollar with the highest precision possible. There is much work to be done, but CSU Pueblo, and this community, are up for the challenge,” he said.
