NEWS

RITA SITE VISIT
CENTER HOSTS CHINESE VISITORS
CENTER STAFF ACTIVITIES

RITA SITE VISIT 

On September 19, 2007, the Center was visited by RITA Program Grant Managers Robin Kline and Lydia Mercado.  The purpose of the visit was to conduct an annual site review.  There was a full day of activities beginning with breakfast with Center Director Marty Lipinski, Associate Director Mal Baird of Vanderbilt University, Dean Richard C. Warder of the Herff College of Engineering and Rajiv Grover, Dean of the Fogelman College of Business and Economics.  This was followed by a tour of the Center facilities and a meeting with the RITA staff, the Center staff, and Deborah Hernandez, Director of Corporate and Foundation Grants.  Guests at lunch included Andy Meyers, Vice-Provost for Research and two members of our Executive Committee; Steve Liberto, Vice-President of Global Trade Services, FEDEX and Dexter Muller, Senior Vice-President Community Development, the Memphis Regional chamber of Commerce.  After lunch, the visit concluded with a ‘windshield’ tour of intermodal facilities in Memphis.

The discussions during the visit were very productive.  Robin and Lydia offered several excellent suggestions on getting the Center up and running, especially in the area of developing the research program.

CENTER HOSTS CHINESE VISITORS 

During the past year the Center has hosted two visiting delegations of Chinese Waterway Professionals who were on scanning tours of inland waterway facilities in the United States.  On October 23, 2006, the Center hosted a group of twenty professionals.  The leader of the group was Mr. Zhou Xiaohang,  Chief Engineer, Scientific Research Institute, Ministry of Communications (Transportation). Included in the delegation were representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Transportation and various other agencies including the Changjiang River Administration for Three Gorges Navigation (The Three Gorges Dam).

At The University of Memphis, Dr. Martin Lipinski gave an overview presentation on the inland waterway transportation system of the United States and intermodal transportation in Memphis.  Additional presentations were made by Mr. George Grugett, President of the Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association, and Mr. Darren Chastin and Mr. David Baretta, Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  

While in Memphis, the delegation also toured the Port of Memphis, hosted by port officials Don McCory and Randy Richardson.

On September 10, 2007, a second delegation of 25 sponsored by the Zhejiang Provincial Government visited the University.  Presentations were made by Dr. Lipinski, Don McCrory of the Port of Memphis, and Lawrence Thomas of the Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

CENTER STAFF ACTIVITIES

The Center Staff has been actively participates in professional meetings at the local regional, and national level. Meetings where staff have attended and/or made presentations include:

The Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting
The Institute of Transportation Engineers
The Inland Rivers, Ports, and Terminals Association
The Smart Rivers Conference
The Annual Meeting of the Delta Regional Authority
The Memphis Logistics Council