Urban Resilience Fellowship Program Results: First Cohort’s Success Propels Solutions for North Texas
We are thrilled to share the impressive achievements of the recently concluded spring semester of the Urban Resilience Fellowship Program. Undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students from multidisciplinary groups with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) worked with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and Southern Dallas County Inland Port Transportation Management Association (Inland Port) on problem statements directly impacting a need or specific challenge faced by each partner.
Program Vision and Concept
The program's interdisciplinary approach empowers students from higher education institutions across the Dallas-Fort Worth area to work closely with local government or industry partners. By bringing together diverse perspectives across specialties and departments and public and private sectors, fellows offer holistic insights that help partner organizations develop comprehensive solutions. The goal is to collaboratively develop innovative solutions to some of the most pressing issues and critical urban challenges facing our communities.
First Cohort Project Summaries
Our pilot cohort from UTA and UTD presented their findings to NTXIA members and provided valuable recommendations for our partners that address a range of needs and offer future-looking solutions for North Texas.
Innovative Outreach Strategy for Public Works Careers
The University of Texas at Arlington With NCTCOG
The team developed an outreach strategy tailored to recruit the next generation of workers to fill the current and future workforce gaps in public works. Their approach focused on attracting talent to technical and field positions, addressing the emerging needs in these sectors. Their solution integrates job fairs, educational programs and immersive presentations to show students and job seekers the roles and impacts of these careers. They emphasized highlighting necessary skill sets in an engaging and approachable manner through virtual reality.
“This really helps communicate and educate what these jobs are and highlights what skill sets are needed. This is not only a great way to engage with high school and trade school students at job fairs, this customizable approach will be also useful in educating younger students about what public works is and get them interested, educated and inspired to contribute to their communities at an early age.” – Kate Zielke, NCTCOG
Transportation Access and Job Characterization
The University of Texas at Arlington With Inland Port
The Inland Port team analyzed the job market, workforce demographics and public transportation options in Southern Dallas County. They created an interactive map illustrating job accessibility through public transit, offering local employers and job seekers valuable insights into bridging transportation gaps.
“The students did a phenomenal job. This tool has significant value as a workforce recruitment tool. While job databases remain a challenge, this project has exceeded expectations, and we are very pleased with the results. This is a proof of concept that has the potential to bring a lot of value to cities across the country. We can’t wait to put it into practice and continue building it out. In the future nonprofits and organizations can guide people based on their residence and available transit options to help them access the right job opportunities for their location.” – Laura Freeland, Inland Port
Advanced Air Mobility Network Design and Demand Estimation
The University of Texas at Arlington With NCTCOG
Fellows presented an integrated network design and demand estimation model for advanced air mobility. Their comprehensive approach involved studying current trends and developing a forward-looking strategy to enhance transportation within the region.
“The groundwork laid here provides future building blocks that will be crucial for addressing upcoming demands in the region. Modeling various scenarios and use cases will be particularly relevant as the region continues to grow.” – Jennifer Sanders, NTXIA
Electric Aircraft Fleets Market Analysis
The University of Texas at Arlington With NCTCOG
The team evaluated the transition to electric aircraft fleets by benchmarking and modeling the market costs associated with this technology. Their insights will inform strategies for adopting electric aviation and overcoming challenges related to cost, infrastructure and environmental impact.
“Such impressive and relevant work that ties directly into federal grants and other initiatives around electrification happening in the region. Their work gives us valuable insights into how the North Texas region can lead in this evolving industry.” – Jennifer Sanders, NTXIA
Municipal Solutions for Broadband Equity
The University of Texas at Dallas with NCTCOG
Fellows from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) presented an analysis on the state of broadband inequity and key real-world case studies. Through their evaluation, they offered pivotal immediate, intermediate, and long-term recommendations to lessen the broadband inequity gap. Their approach highlighted decentralizing internet access points and strengthening public-private partnerships as key solutions in achieving broadband access for all. The team will also submit a 50-page comprehensive strategic initiative proposal and policy guiding document that summarizes existing policies and suggests new policies and funding criteria that meet eligibility guidelines.
“The group's research perfectly complements our efforts with the Internet for North Texas Coalition and will significantly propel the program forward. By approaching this from an academic standpoint, they provide an objective analysis that highlights challenges and offers unbiased recommendations. Their work is already sparking critical discussions on policy, legislation, eligibility solutions, and data collection and analysis. I couldn’t be more excited to see this research continue and explore what new ideas and insights future Fellows will bring to the initiative and the region overall.” – Connor Sandro, NCTCOG
Looking Ahead to Fall 2024 and Beyond
It was inspiring to see the depth of knowledge and creative problem-solving brought forth in these presentations. From UAV modeling to aviation electrification, recruitment for future public works careers and job/transportation interactive database models, the fellows excelled at finding innovative ways to address the challenges of urban resilience and showcased a dedication to real-world problem-solving that will significantly impact NTXIA members and the broader North Texas region.
With the spring semester behind us, the Urban Resilience Fellowship Program is now open for the Fall 2024 semester. NTXIA Members can submit a problem statement or challenge for the upcoming cohort, fostering cross-sector collaboration and creativity as we shape a more resilient future for North Texas!
If you are a government or industry partner facing a specific challenge and would like to collaborate with the next cohort of talented students, or would be interested in joining NTXIA, please reach out to Yumna Bham at ybham@ntxia.org to explore how the program capstones can benefit your organization!