FEATURE

MTI is Driving Change

By Adriana Avila

The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), in collaboration with the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business at San José State University, prides itself on establishing connections between people, ideas and results.

Founded in 1991 by former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, ’02 Honorary Doctorate, MTI fosters these connections in a variety of ways, most notably its workforce development programs — which cater to a wide range of ages, starting as early as first grade and extending to professional programs for public sector leaders.

"Transportation touches all of our lives whether it’s through the mobility options we choose, how we receive the food we consume, or the goods that we use," says Karen Philbrick, MTI’s executive director.

"Having a safe, sustainable, and reliable system is vital to economic success and personal well-being and it is all predicated on a qualified workforce. Transit allows people to reach their places of employment and the social interactions that make my life meaningful. People's lives depend on us, in more ways than one."

Jesse Chou

A summer well spent

MTI, in partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), hosts the Mineta Summer Transportation Institute (MSTI) program, which introduces high school students to careers in transportation and tech — including airline pilots, bus drivers, train engineers and supply-chain managers, to name a few — all while earning three transferable college credits in environmental studies from SJSU. The three-week program features field trips to transportation agencies and various demonstrations, including one illustrating how drones are used for aerial mapping.

“I knew that I liked maps and traveling but I didn't really know that it was a field,” says Jesse Chou, a former student of the MSTI program back in 2012.

Initially, Chou had planned on pursuing a medical career. However, halfway through college, he changed his mind, due to the influence of the MSTI program. “The program affirmed my interest in logistics and opened me up to careers in transportation,” says Chou.

Chou earned a degree in computer science from Princeton in 2018 and is currently a software engineer on Uber’s Maps team. During his Uber interview, Chou mentioned his experience in the MSTI program and believes it helped him secure a role there.

Two kids on a bike going through a safety training.

Nokomis Elementary School students learn the basics of bike safety with support from MTI. Photo: Erich Sommer.

A professor holding up a drone remote control.

Bo Yang, Assistant Professor and MTI Research Associate, conducts a drone-mapping presentation and flying practice for students in the Mineta Summer Transportation Institute program. Photo: Robert C. Bain.

The early years: Contests, curriculum and competition

Young people are introduced to careers in transportation through a variety of contests and educational opportunities.

"Engaging children at a young age is critical to solving the transportation workforce shortage,” says Philbrick. “Many people, children and adults alike, do not understand the breadth of opportunity in this sector. Project based learning opportunities open their eyes to the rewarding careers available.”

In the Elementary Poster Contest, students have the chance to participate in a nationwide competition and artistically express what the year’s transportation theme means to them — last year’s theme was “Rethink Your Ride.” MTI also offers first- through sixth-grade teachers free STEM transportation lesson plans to implement in their classrooms. Students learn the basics of how people and goods are moved through topics such as sustainability, emerging technology and more.

Through the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition, middle school students are inspired to come up with a sustainable solution to a transportation issue for a chance to win a $1,000 cash prize, a plaque and an all-expenses-paid trip to the annual MTI awards banquet. Participants have the opportunity to engage in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM), and present their ideas to a transportation industry professional.

A group of four students from Hopkins Junior High School in Fremont won this year's competition. Their project, Road 2.0, offered a dynamic solution for the big issue of congestion during commuting. During the MTI banquet, teammates Aryan Bachu and Kedarnath Arunkumar presented their project and expressed their admiration for the program, “This program gave us a new perspective on autonomous transportation efficiencies. It also added to our knowledge about autonomous communication and renewable sources,” says Bachu. “We both can say that we are very interested in transportation and hope to improve it in future years.”

For students in grades six to 12, there is the Mineta Transportation Institute Essay Contest, which invites students to propose and explore a solution to an issue centered around a specific transportation theme each year.

A young student smiles as he is handed his plaque.

“This program gave us a new perspective on autonomous transportation efficiencies. It also added to our knowledge about autonomous communication and renewable sources.”

— Aryan Bachu (center)

Advancing a career through MTI

The learning doesn’t stop after high school. Individuals in public sector leadership roles can advance their leadership and communication skills, all while networking with peers and industry mentors through programs such as the Mineta Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy offers various activities for working professionals, including simulation exercises that recreate real-world transportation challenges and discussions with nationally recognized transportation leaders and experts.

MTI also offers three flexible, online graduate certificate programs and a Master of Science degree through SJSU’s Lucas College and Graduate School of Business. The Master in Transportation Management program exposes students to multiple aspects of transportation, including finance, planning and the environment.

MTI’s education director and a professor in the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, relies on multiple strategies to ensure that the program provides cutting-edge management education in transportation. “The program hires nationally renowned industry professionals and researchers as instructors, brings in dozens of industry leaders as guest lecturers and consults regularly with MTI’s Board of Trustees on industry trends and workforce needs,” says Agrawal.

Yaqeline Castro, ’24 MSTM, an outreach and student engagement specialist at the California High-Speed Rail Authority, is pursuing a career in transportation planning.

“The flexibility of being in an online program is unmatched,” says Castro. “If you're working full-time, being able to just open your computer and be in a class instead of having to drive somewhere has been amazing.”

Castro expresses that she has many “aha moments” during each class, realizing how certain events are impacting public transit. “I find myself learning something valuable from every class,” she says. “I feel like I’m learning so much about transportation topics such as ride-hailing, ride-sharing, electric vehicles, ridership numbers, finance and how agencies make large-scale decisions.”

MTI not only offers workforce development programs for careers in transportation, but also provides job opportunities within the institute itself.

Since 2017, Alverina Weinardy, ’19 MUP, has held a variety of roles at MTI, from starting as a graduate student research assistant to becoming the public programs coordinator and now serving as the director of operations.

“What keeps me in the transportation industry is a sense of purpose,” says Weinardy. “The difference between having and lacking mobility is the difference between having and lacking economic, social, and educational opportunities. Having a career in transportation means doing work that impacts people.”

Want to learn more?

Visit the Mineta Transportation Institute to learn about ongoing research and initiatives.

Top Photo: Yaqeline Castro, '24 MSTM, guides a group of Capital Fellows on a California high-speed rail construction tour. Photo courtesy of Yaqueline Castro.