The Center for Connected Multimodal Mobility (C2M2) would like to shine a light on some of the activities that took place at our partner institutions in the fall of 2020. We are going to start with Dr. Dimitra Michalaka, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Citadel, and C2M2 Assistant Director. Dr. Michalaka had a busy fall this year. In addition to teaching, she worked along with Drs. Davis and Brown, of The Citadel, on developing a Bike and Pedestrian Clearinghouse, housed at the SCLTAP website, https://www.scltap.org/bike-ped/.
The South Carolina (SC) Bike and Pedestrian Clearinghouse is part of a larger movement to advance the built environment and mobility needs and promote the adaption of multimodal solutions in the state of SC. The webinar will introduce the SC’s built environments with bike and pedestrian facilities, how efforts have evolved through the years, what has been accomplished and then go through the structure of the newly developed bike and pedestrian clearinghouse resources.
In addition, Dr. Michalaka introduced civil engineering to high school students enrolled at the “Principles of Engineering” course at the West Ashley High school in Charleston, SC and discussed the opportunities an engineering degree offers (Sept. 22).
She also supervised Christian Seidler, a civil engineering undergraduate student who presented a poster at the STRIDE TRB reception on the Evaluation of Transportation Network Infrastructure, Safety, and Travel Route Characteristics of Bike Share, Electric-Powered Pedal-Assist Bike Share, and Electric Scooter System Operation. This project is a continuation of a previously C2M2 funded project.
In continuation of a C2M2 sponsored project, Drs. Brown, Davis, and Michalak, from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Citadel along with Dr. Bornstein from the department of Health and Human Performance at The Citadel, Dr. Hughey, from College of Charleston, and Drs. Huynh and Kaczynski from the University of South Carolina have studied the potential of bike share networks and active transportation to improve urban mobility, physical activity, and public health outcomes in South Carolina. In fall 2020 they met with the City of Charleston Health and Wellness Advisory Committee (Oct. 7), and the Traffic & Transportation and Planning, Preservation & Sustainability Committees (Oct. 16) to present the research findings.
On a personal note, Dr. Michalaka and her husband also welcomed their first child, Michelangelo Giogli-Michalaka, he joined our C2M2 team on August 31st, 2020, and has been a featured guest at several of our fall meetings and events. As if all these activities were not enough, Dr. Michalaka graduated with a Master of Science in Project Management from The Citadel in December 2020, rounding out a packed fall.