The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has recently selected North Carolina A&T State University to lead the University Transportation Center of Excellence for Advanced Air Mobility and Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
Over the next two years, NCDOT will provide the HBCU with $2 million in grant funding to support research on multimodal transportation, emergency response, regional air mobility, and preparing the infrastructure and workforce needed to make new aviation technologies a success.
Through the center’s research initiatives, NCA&T and NCDOT plan to enhance connectivity between ground and air transportation and improve the state’s emergency response capabilities, providing more effective disaster relief for rural communities. One of the center’s initial projects will be to develop an advanced simulation platform to enable seamless coordination between ground and air transport systems.
Additionally, the center aims to foster economic growth within the local Greensboro community and the state of North Carolina. The initiative will create jobs, develop investment opportunities, and strengthen collaborations between the university and industry partners.
Abdollah Homaifar, the Samuel P. Langley Distinguished Professor and Duke Energy Eminent Professor of Electrical Engineering at NCA&T, will serve as the center’s inaugural principal investigator. Alongside fellow NCA&T colleagues, Dr. Homaifar will partner with industry leaders and scholars from Elizabeth City State University, another North Carolina-based HBCU.
“We are honored to lead this groundbreaking initiative,” said Dr. Homaifar. “Our research will not only position North Carolina at the forefront of Advanced Air Mobility and UAS advancements, but also create pathways for students to develop the skills and expertise needed for careers in this transformative industry.”
