A&T Hosts NCDOT Leaders, Demonstrates Capabilities in Transportation-related Research

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 30, 2025) — North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Joey Hopkins and Anthony “Tony” Lathrop, chair of the North Carolina Board of Transportation, were among nearly 45 NCDOT leaders and board members who visited North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to tour the university’s innovative transportation research facilities and autonomous vehicle technologies Tuesday, April 29.

The visit began at the Harold L. Martin Sr. Engineering Research and Innovation Complex, where the delegation explored several of the university’s advanced research labs and projects related to intelligent transportation systems, autonomous vehicles, connected mobility solutions, infrastructure inspection and cyber security of transportation networks. Later in the afternoon, the group traveled to Gateway Research Park North to visit the Aggie Auto autonomous vehicle research site.

“Every time I come to the Martin Complex there are new, innovative and transformative projects the university is engaging in,” said Hopkins. “Having partnerships with A&T and on the leading edge of research is really moving us forward. It’s just amazing to see the technology that can help us, the environment, traffic congestion and safety.”

A&T has emerged as a leader in transportation innovation through strong partnerships with the federal and state transportation departments. The university leads the Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2), a federally-funded regional University Transportation Center. It aims to address transportation hurdles and provide innovative connected and coordinated multimodal solutions in the southeastern region, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Tennessee. Ali Karimoddini, Ph.D., is an electrical and computer engineering professor at A&T and CR2C2 director. 

Sponsored by NCDOT, A&T leads two centers of excellence, the North Carolina Transportation Center of Excellence on Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Technology (NC-CAV), which is also directed by Karimoddini, and the University Transportation Center of Excellence for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). In addition to these centers, NCDOT has supported a number of autonomous vehicle research initiatives led by A&T researchers.

During the tour, attendees viewed demonstrations in several research labs, including the ACCESS Laboratory, the Facility for Intelligent Robotics, Sensing, and Telepresence (FIRST), the Cyber Defense and AI Lab, and the Makerspace. Both faculty members and students showcased projects ranging from autonomous vehicle simulation and cyber security in transportation networks to air traffic control modeling and holographic and digital twin technologies.

“It is a great privilege and honor to be able to really showcase what we do in the transportation area,” said College of Engineering Dean Stephanie Luster-Teasley Pass, Ph.D. “Opportunities to open our doors to state officials allows them to see the extraordinary work our faculty and students are doing and how they can better partner with us.” 

Following the Martin Complex tour, the group proceeded to Gateway Research Park, North Campus, to experience the Aggie Auto Shuttles and the unique rural test track facility. Participants had the opportunity to ride in the shuttles on a two-mile rural test track designed to simulate real-world driving conditions. The track enables researchers to test and refine autonomous vehicle technology developed at A&T, particularly for rural and regional mobility applications.

“The visit highlighted the growing role of N.C. A&T as a hub for transportation technology research and innovation, as well as the university’s significant contributions to advancing the future of autonomous and connected vehicle technologies in partnership with NCDOT,” Karimoddini said.

“If anyone in the transportation industry is overlooking N.C. A&T and the research happening here, their eyes are not on the prize,” Hopkins said.