Center for Advanced Mobility at Wayne State University to Launch This Fall

DETROIT, MI – Wayne State University and the Michigan Mobility Institute recently announced the creation of the Center for Advanced Mobility at Wayne State University. The new center expands on the College of Engineering’s current cyber-physical systems programs and features plans for a broader set of degrees and certificates focused on autonomous driving, connectivity, smart infrastructure, and electrification. Combined, they represent the world’s first holistic, advanced mobility curriculum.

Students will have the opportunity to enroll in offerings for autonomous driving and new courses that provide an overview of mobility fundamentals for engineers. The college also expects to offer a new master of science in robotics for Fall 2020.

“This will be a leading global center for the future of mobility,” says Farshad Fotouhi, dean of the Wayne State College of Engineering and computer science professor. “The Center for Advanced Mobility will be the epicenter for academic and startup activity in the mobility sector for students, researchers, and global corporate partners in Detroit.”

The Center for Advanced Mobility will further leverage Wayne State University’s recently acquired Industry Innovation Center, a 45,000 square foot facility in the TechTown neighborhood at the heart of the Detroit Urban Solutions Innovation District, for laboratory and demonstration space, and for a planned speaker series to kick off this fall.

“By placing students and industry professionals at the center of this curriculum design, we know that these programs will meet their needs as they begin or transition into mobility careers,” adds Jessica Robinson, executive director of the Michigan Mobility Institute. “We conducted hours of additional interviews with startups and established industry professionals to map career paths and learning gaps. Employers are eager for mobility engineers who are comfortable with new approaches to problem solving and have hands on experience with the latest technology.”

“This announcement represents something of immense consequence: the creation of a world leading center for mobility in the heart of Detroit by institutions and leaders who call Detroit home,” said Chris Thomas, president and co-founder of the Detroit Mobility Lab. “Graduates who hail from communities around the State of Michigan and around the world will begin their journey here in Detroit in this world-leading center of mobility excellence.”

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Secret to Efficient, On-Time School Infrastructure & Modernization Projects is All in the Preparation

    Warmer weather and longer days make summer the ideal time for construction and modernization projects at educational facilities. School boards and construction firms must coordinate effectively to ensure that these projects do not extend even a single day into the school year and impede classroom operation.

  • RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. RIT Saunders College of Business's Lowenthal Hall Addition has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.