UA Maritime Transportation Center Receives $923,700 Federal Grant

Heather Nachtmann

The Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center, based at the University of Arkansas, has received a federal grant of $923,700, according to the UA.

The center, known as MarTREC, is a consortium of researchers focused on maritime and multimodal transportation research. It has received $3.7 million since 2013. The latest grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will support research and programs through September 2018.

“MarTREC researchers will continue to work on vital projects that will improve and sustain navigable waterways and help build the communities that serve and rely on these waterways,” said Heather Nachtmann, professor of industrial engineering and the center’s director, in a news release. “We are grateful that the transportation department entrusts our researchers with the national, strategic goal of economic competitiveness through efficient, resilient and sustainable transportation systems on U.S. navigable waterways.”

Joining the UA in the consortium are Jackson State University in Mississippi, Louisiana State University and the University of New Orleans.

The consortium’s researchers are nationally recognized experts in maritime and multimodal logistics, which integrates trucking, rail and barge carriers, according to the UA. Their focus is the development of resilient and sustainable infrastructure and effective emergency management systems for coastal and river valley communities.

As part of the center’s efforts, UA researchers in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are developing a rapid and non-destructive method to assess the condition of levees, and working on a multimodal supply-chain system to support secure and resilient inland waterways.