Center for Transportation Research, University of Tennessee Knoxville

08/26/2026

Airton Kohls and Chris Cherry represent the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and CTR on the City of Knoxville - Government Vision Zero Committee.
Today’s organizational meeting kicked off efforts to update Knoxville’s Vision Zero Action Plan and work toward safer streets for everyone!

Learn more: https://knoxvilletn.gov/visionzero

08/19/2026

Stay informed on the latest developments in transportation research, safety, and community outreach by subscribing to the Center for Transportation Research quarterly newsletter.

Each edition delivers key insights and updates relevant to those in or tangential to the transportation research field, including:
🔸 Featured research and new funding opportunities
🔸 Recent awards & recognition across our people and programs
🔸 Conferences & events recap featuring CTR research presentations, along with announcements for upcoming events
🔸 Program highlights from the Tennessee Transportation Assistance Program, Get Convinced, the Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab, and Tennessee Vans

Subscribe to receive our next quarterly update: https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/2104027/1886294/

08/14/2026

Looking to upgrade your non-profit’s fleet?

Whether you need a vehicle today or want to plan ahead, here are your options:

AVAILABLE ON THE LOT NOW
🔸 2025 Ford Transit: $812/month for 72 months
🔸 2024 Ford Transit (Used): Contact us for pricing
(Act fast—these are the only two vans currently on our lot!)

PRE-ORDER NOW FOR 2027
🔸 Pre-order 2027 vehicles today so we know which vans to secure for your agency when our order window opens.
🔸 Official 2027 pricing will be available once the State Contract window opens this Fall.

HOW TO APPLY & CONTACT
🔸 Apply online: https://tnvans.utk.edu/agency-purchase-program/ (Forms Required for Vehicle Purchase)
🔸 Email: [email protected]
🔸 Phone: 1-800-444-8267

08/13/2026

08/10/2026

Bringing the future of transportation to the classroom!

Our Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab (AMIL) team joined the Alabama Transportation Institute (ATI) for their Transportation Technology & STEM Education Summit!

AMIL staff led hands-on demos for educators—from training traffic-detecting AI models and building mini EVs to testing electric scooters, trikes, go-karts, and bikes.

We’re thrilled to launch this K–12 outreach partnership with ATI to bring more hands-on STEM to students and teachers. Huge thanks to Hope Whiteside and ATI for hosting us!

08/07/2026

Building global partnerships right here in Knoxville!

This July, the UT Center for Transportation Research hosted Ukrainian visiting scholar Oleksandr (Sasha) Bondarenko through the U.S. Department of State ’s BridgeUSA program to build long-term research collaborations.

This is the second BridgeUSA Fellow CTR has hosted, following a successful partnership with Vladyslav Panchenko in 2024, and we look forward to continuing these international relationships.

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The BridgeUSA Ukraine Program for Resilience and Reconstruction (BridgeUSA UPRR) builds links between Ukrainian and U.S. scholars for long-term collaboration on joint research, shared pedagogy, course development, and publications. By fostering lasting and productive partnerships of Ukrainian universities with U.S. institutions of higher education, these programs aim to help educate and train professionals critical to Ukraine’s capacity to recover and rebuild.

The program includes a month-long visit to a U.S. university where scholars may engage in research, observe classes in their field of study, develop new courses or course materials, deliver presentations and lectures, explore U.S. higher education administrative policies and culture, and attend conferences in their academic fields.

🔸🔸🔸

Кафедра Електронних Пристроїв та Систем\Electronic Devices & Systems Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - UTK

08/03/2026

Right now, myTDOT is updating its Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan, establishing the strategic priorities that will guide investments and policy all the way through 2055. Because our team is directly involved in this planning effort, we know how critical public input is to building a safer, more connected, and resilient network for every Tennessean.

Whether your priorities are rural connectivity, highway safety, freight movement, or multimodal transit, make sure your voice is part of the blueprint:

Take the survey and find upcoming events: publicinput.com/lrtp2026

07/31/2026

After almost 32 years of dedicated service to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Jenny Jones has officially retired from her position at TTAP. Our team simply won't be the same without her!

Throughout her time with us, Jenny played a vital role in keeping our program connected with local transportation officials, cities, and counties across Tennessee. From coordinating our key events and educational opportunities to ensuring technical resources and updates reached local agencies statewide, her hard work behind the scenes kept everything running smoothly.

Jenny, thank you for your commitment, support, and the energy you brought to the Center for Transportation Research, University of Tennessee Knoxville and TTAP every day. We will miss you immensely, but we wish you all the joy and relaxation in this next chapter.

07/30/2026

We 🧡 our interns!

Today, on National Intern Day, we are celebrating the incredible students who help power the work we do at the Center for Transportation Research. Here at CTR, our interns are officially known as Undergraduate Research Assistants, and their contributions make a huge impact every single day.

This hands-on experience is a two-way street. By working alongside expert CTR faculty and staff, our students gain real-world project experience, build professional portfolios, and establish valuable industry connections that launch their post-graduation careers.

Our variety of Undergraduate Research Assistants get hands-on experience in:
🔸 Civil engineering and transportation planning
🔸 Public communications, outreach, and media strategy
🔸 K-12 STEM education and technology demonstrations
🔸 Last-mile delivery systems and logistics research
🔸 Teen driver safety education and community engagement

Thank you for making a lasting impact on CTR. We can’t wait to see where your careers take you!

07/29/2026

TTAP was well represented at the National Local Technical Assistance Program Association Conference in Louisville, Kentucky last week. This annual conference brings together staff from LTAP centers nationwide to network with peers, share best practices and innovative solutions from individual centers, discuss common challenges facing local transportation agencies, and learn about resources and initiatives from the Federal Highway Administration and NLTAPA’s partner organizations.

Insights from the conference enable TTAP to refine and expand its training and services to better serve local agency transportation officials in Tennessee.