AnnuAl RepoRt - University of Alabama at Birmingham

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UAB UTC Assists Fellow UTCs in Research Selection UAB UTC leaders have as a core value, the belief that leaders of all federally funded research centers must be ever-mindful that the money they are privileged to spend on behalf of their centers and the research, educationtraining and service projects conducted therein comes from and belongs to the American taxpayers. At the UAB UTC, our fundamental, underlying operating principle is that the taxpayers deserve to have their money spent in a judicious, efficient and effective manner. Part of being a good steward of taxpayer money is making sure that funded research projects meet or exceed a high standard of excellence. This includes assuring that high standards of excellence in research are not only pursued but also met by UAB UTC scientists. In other words, a thorough research project review process is essential to selecting first-rate project proposals that will best serve the taxpayers who underwrite them. Being a responsible steward of taxpayer money is a defining characteristic of the UAB UTC. The UAB UTC Leadership not only embraces a sense of responsibility for the fate of the money awarded to its UTC, but also for the fate of the money awarded to other UTCs. In support of this commitment, the UAB UTC Leadership makes every attempt to avail an appropriate staff member as a research project reviewer for other UTCs whenever possible. This year, Dr. Russ Fine and Dr. Andrea Underhill volunteered to review, critique, score and make “fund / do not fund” recommendations for several research proposals submitted to Transportation Northwest at the University of Washington. TransNow, as the Center is most commonly referred, is a Regional University Transportation Center (UTC) administered by the USDOT through RITA. Similarly, Dr. Despina Stavrinos volunteered to review, critique, score and make “fund / do not fund” recommendations for the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) at the City College of New York. UAB UTC Exploring Partnership with Volvo In early August, Dr. Russ Fine, Mr. Jeffrey Foster and Dr. Despina Stavrinos traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina to meet with Dr. Karin Svensson and Dr. Jan Hellager of Volvo Technology – North America (VTEC). The meeting’s purpose was to explore a potential partnership with Volvo to conduct a new line of research examining distracted driving and heavy truck operators. We are pleased to report the exchange was very positive and the UAB UTC’s presentation well-received by VTEC representatives. Subsequent to the early August meeting, Drs. Svensson and Hellager presented the UAB UTC collaboration concept to other Volvo Truck scientists in Sweden. Subsequently, UAB was advised that VTEC was “positive” about the concept of merging the two projects; and, that VTEC representatives would notify NTRCI officials about the important conceptual accord that had been reached. As this is written, UAB UTC representatives and VTEC leadership from the Greensboro, NC office are continuing the partnership discussions to determine whether the two independent proposals can, in fact, be merged at this late stage of the NTRCI award process. 52 uab utc annual report 2009-2010
UAB UTC Exploring Partnership with Auburn University The UAB UTC and Auburn University have joined forces to help improve transportation safety. UAB UTC Director, Dr. Russ Fine, and Dr. Jay Goldman, Associate Director Emeritus of Research and Scientific Oversight along with Mr. Jeff Foster, Associate Director for Administration and Finance are working with Auburn University’s Dr. Robert Thomas, Dr. Jerry Davis, Dr. Rich Sesek, and Dr. Woojin Park to explore the most efficient and effective ways to integrate UAB’s epidemiology, medical and modeling capabilities with Auburn’s Industrial and Systems (INSY) Engineering Department’s Occupational Safety, Ergonomics, and Injury Prevention research group (http://www. eng.auburn.edu/ie/ose/index.htm). Following an initial meeting this past May in Birmingham, Jeff Foster met with Auburn officials and toured their facilities near the University. Subsequently, Mr. Foster, Dr. Seseck, and Dr. Park toured the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) with Dr. Buzz Powell, Assistant Director and Test Track Manager (http://www. ncat.us). The NCAT facility is a one of a kind facility. While the vast majority of research at the track is focused on asphalt performance, the entire facility has been fully instrumented and provides the ideal location for a variety of research efforts. Following the tour of the test track facilities, Mr. Foster was shown the Occupational Safety, Ergonomics and Injury Prevention (OSE/IP) facilities at the recently completed Shelby Center for Engineering Technology on the campus of Auburn University. This state of the art building houses the OSE/IP group’s laboratory facilities and offices. The Auburn OSE/IP group is unique. They combine traditional occupational safety and ergonomics research with biomechanics and modeling. These capabilities are of great interest to UAB UTC leadership who have expertise with impact biomechanics and finite element modeling. Bringing together all of this research expertise under one umbrella is critical to the UAB UTC’s goal of improving transportation safety. Current discussions between the Auburn OSE/IP group and the UAB UTC have centered on mass transit, EMS, pedestrian safety, and distracted driving research projects, as well transportation work zone health and safety projects. Additionally, another collaborative research effort addressing distracted driving risks and sleep disorders among commercial truckers is being mounted by UAB UTC faculty researchers Dr. Despina Stavrinos and Dr.Karen Heaton with the NCAT test track facilities. This proposed project, if funded, will attempt to evaluate the impact of visual and cognitive distraction, sleep, medication use, age and cognition on driving performance. On average, 102 people died each day in motor vehicle crashes in 2008 — one every 14 minutes. Specific Accomplishments 53
Page 1 and 2:
Annual Report Traffic Safety & Inju
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Director’s Note
Page 5 and 6: ecause of two exceptional transport
Page 7 and 8: From 2004 to 2008, seat belts saved
Page 9 and 10: Center Staff university of alabama
Page 11 and 12: Office of the Director / Principal
Page 13 and 14: The Advisory Board The UAB UTC’s
Page 15 and 16: First Student Earns Certificate in
Page 17 and 18: In the United States, motor vehicle
Page 19 and 20: “Together, the UAB UTC and the TR
Page 21 and 22: UAB UTC’s First Minority Enrichme
Page 23 and 24: In 2008 there were an estimated 10,
Page 25 and 26: D2 - Project 1: Capacity Building,
Page 27 and 28: Urban Sprawl Associated with Increa
Page 29 and 30: Traffic Congestion Increases EMS Re
Page 31 and 32: First Wave of UAB UTC Distracted Dr
Page 33 and 34: Products, Technologies, and Researc
Page 35 and 36: Secretary Ray LaHood, United States
Page 37 and 38: Presentations Bose D, Crandall J, T
Page 39 and 40: TRIP ® Lab Students Present Resear
Page 41 and 42: effort to address and resolve press
Page 43 and 44: UAB UTC Provides Distracted Driving
Page 45 and 46: “The University of Alabama at Bir
Page 47 and 48: UTC Leadership and Special Guests 1
Page 49 and 50: PANEL 2: Public Awareness and Educa
Page 51 and 52: UAB UTC Featured in RITA Spotlight
Page 53: UAB UTC Welcomes New UTC Scientist
Page 57 and 58: Workforce Development in Real Time:
Page 59 and 60: funding, sources & expenditures 200
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