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Prospering through Transportation research together

Transportation Research Immersive Program Group Picture

El Paso Community College (EPCC) and Early College High School (ECHS) students participated in the 2025 Transportation Research Immersive Program (TRIP), sponsored by the Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC), a USDOT Regional University Transportation Center.  This program aims to allow students to explore engineering through the lens of transportation, giving them the skills and knowledge to successfully pursue a degree in civil engineering or related fields. Hosted at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ and organized with the support of CTIS research students, staff and faculty, the event introduced participants to hands-on transportation research activities, including:

🛠️ Asphalt mixing and compaction demonstrations, 
🛞 Hamburg Wheel Tracker and Overlay Testing (OT) machine demos,
🚧 Skid resistance using a Dynamic Friction Tester, 
💨 Air void content determination of asphalt mixes,
📈 Indirect Tensile Strength (IDT) testing using a Universal Testing Machine, and 
🚗 Accelerated pavement loading using a Model Mobile Load Simulator (MMLS), with real-time pavement response monitoring using distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS).

 

Transportation Research Immersive Program Picture Compilation

Students also participated in a poster session organized by CTIS students, allowing EPCC participants to engage in conversations about opportunities and experiences in engineering and research at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ.

Additionally, participants gained a foundational understanding of asphalt mix design, performed mix design calculations using spreadsheets, and were introduced to design tools used by Department of Transportations. 📊

A heartfelt thank you to the EPCC and early-college high school students who joined us, and to the CTIS graduate and undergraduate students who organized and led the activities, making this event a success.

Stay tuned for photos and stories from the program!