Michigan State University announced today it has assembled the MSU Mobility Advisory Council to help guide the university’s vision for the future of mobility. With experts from eight respected mobility-oriented organizations taking part in the council, MSU is well positioned to gain valuable insight and perspectives of future industry and societal needs and the types of research and projects that MSU could support. Additional members may be invited to join the council in the future.
“This council will have a big role in helping us identify new projects as well as prioritize our mobility-related research and academic offerings, which is a core focus at Michigan State University,” said Satish Udpa, interim director of MSU Mobility and University Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering. “We are grateful to all council members who have committed to dedicating time to this group; this council will be a truly valuable asset and we look forward to the in-depth and thought-provoking conversations and insight that will be shared.”
Most companies have one member supporting the council, but in some cases, there are two members designated per company, with participation based on availability.
Participating council members, in addition to Udpa, include:
· Dan Garrison and Clint Crook, Accenture
· Paul Thomas, Bosch
· Bethany Tabor and Jeff Myrom, CMS Energy
· Robert Hubbard, Cisco's Smart Communities and Energy
· Bill Frykman, City Solutions North America, Ford
· David Gorsich and Denise Rizzo, U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center
· Glenn Stevens Jr., MICHauto and Automotive and Mobility Initiatives for the Detroit Regional Chamber
· Frank Weith, director of Connected and Mobility Services and Ventic, LLC of Volkswagen Group of America
Currently, MSU is conducting a wide scope of significant research projects to help further position Michigan as a mobility hub, with a concentration on first and last mile initiatives and technologies. More than 50 faculty members from seven colleges at MSU — social science, engineering, agriculture and natural resources, communication arts and sciences, law, natural science and the Eli Broad College of Business — are working collaboratively to advance MSU Mobility initiatives and will be active with and benefit from dialogue of the new council. Ultimately, the council will help MSU Mobility leaders determine which research projects should be expedited, identify opportunities to refocus existing projects and develop new programs the university could undertake to best prepare the university and its surrounding communities for the future of mobility.
The council’s first meeting took place virtually on April 23.
About MSU Mobility
MSU has transformed its 5,200-acre campus into a live, connected ecosystem to advance smart-vehicle technology and better understand the human element. With a range of urban, suburban, industrial and rural zones, featuring nearly 60 lane miles of roads, MSU’s controlled infrastructure and active campus make it ideal to test emerging technologies for new mobility solutions.
Spartan Mobility Village is home to MSU’s mobility labs where roadways and parking lots can be closed for testing of new technologies. In the future, unoccupied buildings will be used as a background for sensing technologies, including radar clutter simulating the suburban and urban environment.
To learn more about mobility at MSU and the university’s ecosystem approach, visit mobility.msu.edu.
