The Safety and Mobility Advancements Regional Transportation and Economics Research (SMARTER) Center welcomed representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) to Morgan State University on March 6, 2026. The delegation included Seval Oz, nominee for USDOT Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Senior White House Advisor, whose visit underscored the federal government’s continued investment in university-led transportation research.
The visit featured live demonstrations of several SMARTER Center technologies, including an AI-powered autonomous wheelchair system, a Work Zone Alert Safety System, vehicle-to-pedestrian cooperative perception, and Howard University’s AI-powered infrastructure maintenance system. Guests also toured the SMART Corridor, a connected-vehicle testbed spanning three signalized intersections along West North Avenue in Baltimore.
The SMARTER Center thanks the USDOT team for engaging with our researchers, students, and industry partners, and for their commitment to advancing safe, efficient, and innovative transportation systems nationwide.