Lawrence Technological University
07/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/17/2024 14:30
LTU hosts connected car demonstration, MDOT transportation career day
SOUTHFIELD-Lawrence Technological University Tuesday hosted about 80 high school students, college interns, and young people interested in transportation careers Tuesday, July 17, in a career exploration event arranged by the Michigan Department of Transportation, LTU, and HNTB Corp., with assists from the Road Commission of Oakland County, Ann Arbor-based P3 Mobility, and the city of Southfield.
Participants included attendees of LTU summer camps, the Engineering Society of Detroit's Girls in Engineering Academy, college interns in the transportation industry, and participants in the MDOT's Transportation Career Pathways Program, a new pilot project that seeks to link up young people 18 and over with Michigan transportation jobs.
The event featured a connected-car driving simulator from P3, which, in partnership with the Road Commission for Oakland County, is installing connected car technology at five Oakland County intersections and in 10 Oakland County fleet vehicles. Called V2X (for vehicle-to-everything), the technology warns drivers of road hazards that they might not be able to see, like a car approaching an intersection from the side so quickly that it's about to run a red light, or a pedestrian who might dart into the roadway. The technology requires installation of sensors at intersections and in cars, sensors that share data over short-range wireless connections.
Participants also attended breakout sessions offering hands-on activities in concrete testing, geotechnical exploration, bridge building, and using surveying equipment, as well as resume-writing and job interview tips.
The Detroit office of HNTB Corp., the Kansas City, Mo.-based engineering and architectural services firm, also participated in the event and had representatives at LTU talking about engineering careers.
"This is a great opportunity for us to expose young people to careers in the transportation industry," said Diva Iyer, a project management specialist in the MDOT's Office of Major Projects.
"We have been doing this for 12 years now, exposing young minds to engineering and technical careers in the transportation industry," said Nishantha Bandara, associate professor of civil and architectural engineering at LTU and director of the Lawrence Tech Transportation Institute and LTU's Bachelor of Science in Concrete Technology and Management program. "Different modulus in various aspects of the transportation industry provide participants an appreciaton of different career paths they can take in the future."
Lawrence Technological Universityis one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932 and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation's top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation's top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report list it in the top tier of the best Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, "theory and practice" education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech's 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.