Richard Ajagu, Masters student in the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering, was awarded the CCAT Student of the Year by the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) for his research and development work in multiple domains related to autonomous vehicular systems. He received the award at the CUTC Winter Banquet during the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington DC, in January 2026.

Richard's research work with CCAT, has included development and field validation of innovative concepts, methodologies and devices related to road vehicle systems automation and connectivity (A&C). He has carried out driving simulation and human factors experiments related to human-machine interface (HMI) of autonomous vehicle systems, taught  project-based active-learning undergraduate courses related to A&C, and organized several research conferences and competitive field racing events related to A&C.  He is advised by Professor Samuel Labi, CCE professor, director of the Next-generation Transportation Systems Center (NEXTRANS).

Source: Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT)