“No matter what your STEM interest, you can find a way to have a successful career in transportation,” says Stephanie S. Ivey. The associate dean for research and professor in the Herff College of Engineering at the University of Memphis wants to spread the word about STEM and transportation. She believes that the future of transportation is wide open and filled with exciting opportunities for STEM-educated students. To draw young people into the topic and its career possibilities, she has leveraged her STEM Committee position with the Institute of Transportation Engineers to help create classroom lessons in transportation-related areas. The lessons are for K-12 students and their teachers. Ivey agreed to tell us more about the lessons, her interest in STEM and transportation, and her lifelong fascination with things that “go:”
Q: Tell us about your educational background and what sparked your interest in transportation.
A: My bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees are in civil engineering. I was interested in transportation from a young age (loved Hot Wheels!) but only became interested in it as a career once I started my faculty role at the University of Memphis.
I love teaching transportation courses and conducting transportation-related research. It is such an exciting field – so many cool technologies, exciting changes on the horizon and opportunities to have a positive impact in your community through transportation.
Q: In your positions at the University of Memphis and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), which is based in Washington, D.C., what are your main areas of interest relating to transportation and its impact on society?
A: With ITE, I am part of the STEM Committee. Our focus is on promoting transportation connections within STEM to K-12 communities so that students understand the exciting opportunities available to them through a career in transportation. At the University of Memphis, I am a professor of civil engineering, and I currently teach transportation courses related to transformative technologies and transportation systems management and operations.
I enjoy these courses because the state of practice is constantly changing, so I am always learning something new (plus, the students get really excited about these topics). There is so much happening with emerging technologies that impacts the work transportation professionals do – from developing autonomous and connected vehicles to using technologies to capture big data so that we are better able to manage congestion and create safer roadways.
Transportation professionals also play a role in helping to ensure all members of a community have access to transportation, creating livable neighborhoods and designing infrastructure for many different modes of travel – including bicycles and pedestrians.
