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March 2005
Minnesota transportation leaders form research alliance
TERRA—the Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance—is a new research governance structure formed by Minnesota transportation leaders to foster a comprehensive road research program. TERRA was created after a task force of government, industry, and academic representatives investigated road research governing structures and evaluated ways to broaden use of the unique MnROAD facility and associated resources. The task force, staffed by CTS, was formed at the request of Mn/DOT Deputy Commissioner Douglas Differt.
TERRA's mission is to develop, sustain, and communicate a comprehensive program of research on pavement, materials, and related transportation engineering challenges, including issues related to cold climates.
"Our vision," says Richard Stehr, Mn/DOT division director and TERRA Board chair, "is that TERRA will be a dynamic partnership of government, industry, and academia that continuously advances innovations in road engineering and construction." The co-chair of the TERRA Board is Fred Corrigan, executive director of the Aggregate and Ready Mix Association.
While the primary focus of TERRA will be to expand pavement-related research opportunities, other compatible research such as vehicle technologies and driver communications will be pursued in order to diversify funding.
Here's some of what TERRA will do:
- Expand productive research partnerships: attract funding and leverage research at the MnROAD facility.
- Provide effective transportation engineering and road research: develop short- and long-range research plans, provide direction on reconstruction of the MnROAD facility, and foster research partnerships that produce road innovations.
- Communicate research activities, benefits, and results: market findings to various audiences, engage stakeholders to discuss research results and implementation activities, and solicit input on future research needs.
Current TERRA Board members (shown below) have met in recent months to further define strategic objectives for the alliance.
You, too, can participate in TERRA, in one of three ways: as a TERRA Board member, through a commitment of resources over a sustained time period; as a potential TERRA research project partner; or as a friend of TERRA.
For further information, please contact Dave Johnson, manager, Road Research Section, Minnesota Department of Transportation Office of Materials (651-779-5681, dave.johnson@dot.state.mn.us), or Laurie McGinnis, CTS associate director, (612-625-3019, mcgin001@cts.umn.edu).
TERRA Board members
Richard Stehr, Chair, Division Director, Engineering Services
Division, Mn/DOT
Fred Corrigan, Co-Chair, Executive Director, Aggregate and
Ready Mix Association
John Bukowski, Senior Pavement Engineer, Federal Highway
Administration
John Gulliver, Professor and Department Head, Department
of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
Robert Johns, Director, CTS
Mark Maloney, Director of Public Works, City of Shoreview
Al Schenkelberg, Director, Office of Investment Management,
Mn/DOT
Keith Shannon, Director, Office of Materials, Mn/DOT
Mike Sheehan, County Highway Engineer, Olmsted County
Julie Skallman, Division Director, State Aid Division, Mn/DOT
Gerald Voigt, Senior Vice President of Technical Services
and COO, American Concrete Pavement Association
Rich Wolters, Executive Director, Minnesota Asphalt Pavement
Association
Tim Worke, Director, Associated General Contractors of Minnesota
Matt Zeller, Executive Director, Concrete Paving Association
of Minnesota
TERRA staff resources
Stephanie Malinoff, Outreach & Education Coordinator, CTS
Dave Johnson, Manager, Road Research Section, Mn/DOT
Erland Lukanen, Director, Pavement Research Institute, University
of Minnesota
Laurie McGinnis, Associate Director, CTS