By Maria Gonzalez

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – AUG. 2, 2024 – UTRGV recently hosted Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), who visited with the university’s next generation of engineers and transportation experts through UTRGV Summer Camps. 

The camps, hosted by the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety, began with a welcome from Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, Louis A. Beecherl Jr. Endowed Professor and UTCRS director, who accompanied Bose in meeting with more than 1,000 K-12 camp participants.

Bose emphasized the integral role of transportation in shaping daily life, along with the diverse career opportunities it offers.

“Those of us at the FRA, some based in the nation's capital and others in field offices across the country, see transportation as our career, a career I hope many of the students here today will consider pursuing,” he said.

Bose emphasized the importance of creativity and persistence in transportation and pointed to STEM's critical role in sustaining and growing America's networks. 

“STEM skills are crucial across the railroad sector, with growing demand spurred by significant investments like President Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law,” he said.

As he toured the UTCRS summer camp facilities, Bose engaged with students, praising their commitment to STEM during their summer break.

Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, along with Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, Louis A. Beecherl, Jr. Endowed Professor and UTCRS director, joins UTCRS STEM Summer Camp students on stage during the award ceremony. (UTRGV Photo by Jesus Alferez)

“It's great to see the good work you're doing,” he said. “We need more people in these fields and your dedication is inspiring.”

Bose outlined the FRA’s responsibilities, including overseeing national railroad safety, and encouraged students to view those efforts as steppingstones to careers in rail.

“At the Federal Railroad Administration, we oversee railroad safety nationwide, from freight to passenger railroads, and we look forward to seeing you in these fields one day,” he said. 

The visit included a stop at UTRGV's Hi-Bay research facilities in the Engineering Building, where Bose met with graduate and undergraduate students and observed their projects.

Tarawneh emphasized the importance of Bose’s visit.

“Having FRA officials tour our research facilities, and seeing our students working firsthand, is impactful,” he said. “It shows our students the importance of their work and how they are shaping the next generation of the workforce in this field.” 

The visit concluded with a closing ceremony for the 2024 UTCRS STEM Summer Camps, where Bose delivered a keynote address to more than 400 attendees.

“I would like to congratulate UTRGV and these strong efforts to ensure that more students, at early ages, have access to STEM opportunities and vast knowledge of the transportation field and the opportunities it offers,” he said.

The UTCRS summer camps, established nearly a decade ago, have introduced more than 10,000 K-12 students and 1,000 teachers to engineering, with a focus on hands-on learning and real-world STEM applications.

The four-week camps annually host about 1,150 students, Tarawneh said, and are aligned with the transportation center’s mission to reduce railway-related fatalities and injuries through hands-on learning and real-world STEM applications.

“Many times, kids lack confidence. They think, ‘Engineering is not for me, it’s too difficult,’” he said. “But these camps provide them a window into the future.”

Francisco Romo, a participating teacher from Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary in La Joya ISD, said the program has had an impact not just on his students, but also on his teaching.

“This experience is truly one of a kind, where we get to see the perspective of others and, more importantly, learn from each other," he said. “The most enjoyable part is hearing students go from ‘programming is hard’ to ‘programming is fun.’ Or, one of my favorites, ‘I will never see a train the same way again.’” 

Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, speaks to students, their families and audience members at the closing ceremony of the UTCRS STEM Summer Camps on June 28, held on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Jesus Alferez)