Visit with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
Friday, August 4th, 2023
RailTEC students with Illinois faculty and staff pose beside distinguished guests including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.
Over 150 people attended the fireside chat on Monday 31 July 2023 with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, at the Newmark Civil Engineering Building on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana. The government officials also spoke in Savoy, where they officially announced $22.6 million in federal funds for a project to eliminate the railroad crossing at Curtis Road and U.S. 45, and in East St. Louis on the same day.
Despite the fact the officials were on a tightly orchestrated schedule, they spent a few minutes looking at research posters and talking to PI’s from CEE’s transportation centers.
To read the Grainger College of Engineering article click here.
Professor and George Krambles Director of RailTEC Chris Barkan (R) displays the steel thickness to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (L) as Grainger College of Engineering Dean Rashid Bashir looks on.
(L-R) Dean Rashid Bashir, U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
Chris Barkan talks about tank car safety research with Secretary Buttigieg.
RailTEC professor Riley Edwards discusses his infrastructure research with Secretary Buttigieg.
RailTEC students attended the fireside chat with Secretary Buttigieg, Representative Budzinski and Senator Durbin
(L-R) Senator Durbin, Chris Barkan, Riley Edwards, Secretary Buttigieg and Representative Budzinski
