SwRI sponsors ITS America’s 10th Student Essay Competition with cash prize

Southwest Research Institute has invitied college students to share visions for the future of transportation in an essay competition. The winner will earn a $1,000 cash prize and a paid trip to Washington, D.C., from June 4-7, to attend the ITS America 2019 Annual Meeting.

The essay topic is: “How do you envision disruptive technologies impacting transportation systems to make them safer, greener or smarter over the next 10 years?” The contest is open to undergraduate and graduate students at accredited colleges and universities.

“We envision that today’s advancements will change the future of mobility and transportation.  Not only will transportation be more efficient and safe, but it will also be more accessible and have a reduced environmental impact,” said Josh Johnson, director of SwRI’s Critical Systems Department. “These essays should envision how transportation systems will adapt to challenges and opportunities presented by the next wave of electric and automated vehicles.”

Essays should be submitted as a Microsoft Word  or PDF attachment to [email protected] by April 14, 2019.

“We want to encourage students in transportation, engineering and public policy to apply their knowledge in a thought-provoking manner,” Johnson said.

The winning essay, chosen from student submissions across the United States, will be announced at the ITS America 2019 Annual Meeting. Judges will select the winning essay based on the insights expressed about future advances in the intelligent transportation industry.

This is the tenth year that SwRI, a leading innovator of intelligent transportation systems, has sponsored the competition.