Cao Honored for Outstanding Dissertation

Xinyu (Jason) Cao recently received the Charley V. Wootan Memorial Award from the Council of University Transportation Centers. Cao is an associate research fellow with the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center.

The national award recognizes a student in transportation for an outstanding Ph.D. dissertation in policy and planning. Before joining SURTC in July, Cao completed his Ph.D. in civil engineering with an emphasis on transportation planning at the University of California-Davis. In addition, he received a University of California Transportation Center Dissertation Fellowship. His dissertation, "The Causal Relationship Between the Built Environment and Personal Travel Choice: Evidence from Northern California," examines the causes behind travel choices made by individuals living in areas with various land-use characteristics.

Cao received the award at the annual Council of University Transportation Centers Awards Banquet in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Jan. 20. The honor also includes a $2,000 cash award. The banquet was held during the national meeting of the Transportation Research Board.

Cao is currently investigating transit-oriented development and solutions in small urban and rural areas.

First Class of Master of Military Logistics Students Reach Halfway Point

With the first semester complete, students in the Masters of Military Logistics (MML) program have a different perspective on the program and NDSU than when they entered the program last fall.

Capt. Will Leslie, an Army transportation officer, thought the program would focus more on the military. He was surprised to find that students are totally removed from the military and are encouraged to change their perspectives. It has been a "great opportunity to learn to look at things from the outside," Leslie says.

Transportation officer, Capt. Chris Haffay says the program has taught her a multifunctional approach to logistics. She says the relationship with the faculty has been exceptional. The fact that so many of the students are military officers could have been intimidating to some of the civilian faculty. "At first, it was hard for them to see we are just people," says Haffay.

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) chose NDSU for the new program. No where else in the world will you find another program like it. The program launched its three-year pilot run last fall. The inaugural class consists of 17 women and men from across the nation. Some of the students are from the United States Army, and some are civilians working for the Army.

The year-long, 36-credit MML is part of the interdisciplinary Transportation & Logistics Program offered by the College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies. The Colleges of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources; Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences; Business Administration; Engineering & Architecture; and Science & Mathematics. The MML is sponsored and coordinated by the UGPTI. The program's director, Dr. Brian Kalk, is not only hopeful the program will become a permanent degree at NDSU, he says there may eventually be a master's in transportation and urban planning to complement the MML program.

Why a Masters of Military Logistics? When it comes to war, nothing is easy. Making sure supplies are where they need to be is literally a matter of life and death. A plan of action is imperative. The Masters in Military Logistics teaches military officers and DOD civilians how to effectively transport and track everything, not only on the battlefield, but also in time of peace.

In addition to the MML, NDSU, in cooperation with Alien Technology and the University of Alaska, has also been selected by the DOD for the development of defense microelectronics and sensors. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is a tool that helps to ensure that equipment and material are delivered efficiently and that they can be readily found when needed. Research and applications of that technology is one of the many aspects of supply chain management integrated into the MML program.

One of the program's civilian students, Sharon Garay-Rodriguez, a general engineer program manager for the Army, was surprised at the diversity the program offers. Her advice to perspective students: "Don't think it is just about transportation." She says the program offers a variety of classes which could be useful to a plethora of careers.

The program teaches logistics from a commercial understanding; it is up to the students to take that knowledge and translate it into military settings. According to Kalk, the "translation issue is something they learn a little bit about in school, but mostly on the job." By and large, the students should walk away with the fundamental knowledge of logistics, enhanced critical thinking skills, and a globally mature perspective, while keeping updated with current technology.

The class of 2007 will figuratively pass the torch to the new class with graduation on Aug. 8, 2007. The program's faculty hopes to see at least as many students enrolled next year with students from other branches of the military. Although the program may have been different than students expected, the learning experience, according to Haffay, has been "priceless."

Master of Military Logistics Students Tour Red River Valley & Western Railroad

Students from the NDSU Master of Military Logistics Program toured the Red River Valley and Western Railroad yard in Breckenridge, MN, in October to observe rail operations first hand.

"This was a tremendous opportunity for students to see in real life the rail operations they have been learning about in textbooks," notes Denver Tolliver, associate director of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute.

The Red River Valley and Western is a regional railroad in North Dakota. It began operations in 1987 over track acquired from the Burlington Northern Railroad. It owns and operates 517 route miles of track and handles 42,000 carloads annually.

The Breckenridge site is the railway's main rail yard. Students toured the yard including the locomotive service and car repair shop, turnouts, crossovers and wayside signals. They also toured a shuttle train loading facility adjacent to the yard and the interchange where cars from the Red River Valley and Western are exchanged with the BNSF Railway.

"The site visit was of tremendous value to the students and the staff," says Brian Kalk, program manager for the Master of Military Logistics Program. "By interacting with professionals in the rail industry, our students gained a better understanding and appreciation of what it takes to move goods by rail."

At the car repair shop, students saw different freight cars in detail and learned about car components, including truck assemblies and foundation brake rigging, and the operation and mechanisms of covered hopper cars.

Dan Zink, vice president of the Red River Valley and Western, said his company was eager to welcome the students. "Our goal for tours like this one is to contribute to the education and hands-on learning of the logistics students and to better prepare them to go back into the operational forces. Students with this type of experience will make a difference."

"This was an opportunity to view the rail yard and visualize the movement of inbound and outbound trains. It was a great value to see how trains enter the yard and determine their placing," said student Nicole Chilson. "This experience will enhance my ability to overcome logistical challenges when managing or just working with a rail yard in the movement of our equipment."