Above, former CTR Directors, from left: Steve Richards, Michael Bronzini, Ken Heathington, Bill Goodwin, David Clarke.

The Center for Transportation Research (CTR) has been a nationally and internationally recognized research entity at The University of Tennessee since 1972. Our group has been the research venue for some of the brightest and most innovative faculty, researchers, and graduate students in the nation’s transportation arena.

Today, CTR has over $10 million in sponsored research under contract, providing increased opportunities for students and researchers. Considering the breadth of our transportation system, the quality of newly graduated transportation students must be of the highest caliber. CTR supports the UT College of Engineering’s responsibility to supply well-educated transportation students to the growing field of transportation professionals.

Transportation research, education, and technology transfer activities are vital if we are to rebuild the nation’s aging transportation infrastructure and encourage solutions to tomorrow’s transportation problems. These initiatives present new technical challenges, involve specialized personnel skills, and require innovative partnerships and management approaches. CTR strives to address these needs for the nation, our region, and our community.

The Center for Transportation Research was created in 1970 to foster and facilitate interdisciplinary research, public service, and outreach in the field of transportation at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It began full-time operations in 1972 and since then has contributed greatly to the overall research program of the university. As a research center under the auspices of UT’s College of Engineering, CTR oversees various programs associated with the education, research, training, and workforce aspects of the transportation field.

The center has three goals. The first is to conduct a program of research in transportation that is recognized for its excellence, comprehensiveness, innovation, productivity, and national leadership. The second is to develop and sustain the technical expertise for high quality transportation research by the faculty and students of UT. CTR’s third goal is to serve the transportation research, service, and training needs of state and local government, business, and industry in Tennessee, the Southeast region, and the nation.

 

CTR is dedicated to excellence and integrity in providing effective transportation solutions.

Our mission is to:

• Harness the full resources of the University of Tennessee in the conduct of transportation research. 
• Develop and educate the transportation workforce. 
• Assist and advise operators and users of the transportation system. 

Our vision is to be recognized for excellence in university-based transportation research, education, and service.