It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Center for Accessibility and Safety for an Aging Population (ASAP). In this our inaugural newsletter, you will read about news and events at the Center, on the various activities on research, education and outreach programs. We were happy to host the US DOT Secretary during a visit to Florida A&M University, one of the ASAP partner universities. Our Center was also recently highlighted in a recent USDOT Spotlight Newsletter, and our ASAP faculty have been busy performing various outreach activities.

ASAP is a multidisciplinary collaboration organized to conduct research in the primary area of transportation engineering with focus on the aging population, as well as performing educational and outreach programs. Established as a Tier 1 University Transportation Center (UTC) and funded at $3.7 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the Center addresses two of USDOT's strategic goals: improving highway safety; and strengthening transportation planning. The Center is supported by a strong research team from various disciplines including civil engineering, urban planning, geography, psychology, and health care management. Providing seniors with safe and convenient access to the goods and services they need to participate fully in society is a key issue explored by center.

Thanks.

John O. Sobanjo, Ph.D, P.E., Professor