By Kelsey辛普金斯

New engineering research center aims to electrify transportation, expand education

一个主要的工程合作, industry and education is paving the way to the future of electrified transportation. 于2020年启动， ASPIRE—Advancing 可持续性 through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification-是一个开创性的, multidisciplinary center that explores a diverse range of transportation questions, from electrified highways that energize vehicles to the placement of charging stations, 数据安全和劳动力发展.

The Utah State University-led center’s inaugural director is Regan Zane, previously a professor of electrical and computer engineering at CU Boulder, 他也是在哪里获得学士学位的, 电气工程专业硕士或博士学位. And with faculty across multiple departments within the College of Engineering and Applied Science involved in leading roles with ASPIRE, the University of Colorado Boulder plays a major part in this new center focused on developing infrastructure and systems that facilitate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

“CU Boulder has a well-earned reputation as a leader in sustainabilityfocused research 和创新,” said Vice Chancellor for 研究 and 创新 Terri Fiez. “ASPIRE will provide our researchers with an exciting new opportunity for global impact through the collaborative reimagining of the future of transportation as we know it.”

ASPIRE的工作是以研究为基础的, 教育和劳动力发展, 多样性和包容文化, 和创新. It aims to improve health and quality of life for everyone by catalyzing sustainable and equitable electrification across the transportation sector.

“We need to understand the factors that are impacting the development and adoption of this technology so that we’re solving the right problems,秦(克里斯汀)吕说, ASPIRE的科罗拉多大学博尔德校区主任, co-principal investigator of the Engineering 研究 Center and lead for the data research thrust within ASPIRE.

Within its research, ASPIRE will focus on transportation, adoption, power and data.

数据对于电气化运输很重要, not only because it can help designers plan how much charge is available at which charging stations and when, 而是应该建在哪里, 基于交通数据, 消费者偏好等. Data security is also important to protect charging infrastructure and individual vehicles from malicious attacks.

ASPIRE is also creating a connected system encompassing K–12 experiences, 本科和研究生学位, 交易, 以及专业的劳动力学习途径, 它们之间有无缝的转换, to develop a diverse engineering workforce trained to support cross-industry transformations.

“We aim to break boundaries among disciplines and develop a diverse engineering workforce whose members strive for inclusion and equity for all, 不仅仅是在工程领域, 而且在整个社会中也是如此,德拉甘·马克西莫维奇说, co-director of ASPIRE’s Engineering Workforce Development and member of its power research thrust, 以及查尔斯·维克多·舍尔克电气教授, 电脑 & 博彩平台推荐的能源工程.

The center will partner with schools and community organizations in Boulder and Denver to strengthen engineering and climate change education in the classroom, in afterschool programs and in summer engineering design camps at CU Boulder. They will also assist with professional development for teachers—particularly those in rural areas—to strengthen their familiarity and confidence in STEM curriculum. 所有这些努力都将得到一个庞大的, open and continually growing library of high-quality STEM and design curricula and educational content housed on the TeachEngineering.org网站.

“We’re not going to separate diversity and a culture of inclusion from engineering workforce development here. 而不是, we are going to include those goals and items from the start to create a much richer, 更有效的, more promising and more inclusive workforce development initiative overall,杰奎琳·沙利文说, founding co-director of the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program at CU Boulder and ASPIRE’s director of K–12 engineering education. “这是一种不同的思维方式.”