Center for Environmental Research & Technology

Through a James Irvine Foundation grant, the TSR Group successfully developed and launched a transformative Sustainable Transportation Summer Course in August 2023. Spanning three weeks, this program, designed as part of the foundation's initiatives, offered students a profound educational experience, imparting a comprehensive understanding of sustainable transportation principles. The course seamlessly integrated theoretical concepts with practical applications, diving into topics such as Eco-Friendly Intelligent Transportation Systems, Zero Emission Vehicles, Transportation Engineering, and Transportation Policy. The curriculum featured engaging lectures, hands-on laboratory sessions, and insightful field trips to various locations, including CE-CERT’s Innovative Corridor testbed, Smart Intersection testbed, the City of Riverside’s Traffic Management Center, and the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) new laboratory facilities in Riverside. Notably, the course explored Sustainable Freight, with a particular emphasis on Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles (HDEVs), providing students with unique opportunities to apply MATLAB/SIMULINK modeling tools in real-world scenarios. Beyond traditional classroom boundaries, the course incorporated extended sessions for in-depth exploration and valuable field trips to key industry locations, fostering a well-rounded understanding of sustainable transportation among participating students from Mexico and UCR. Following its success, we eagerly anticipate offering this transformative program again.

Watch the recap video here.

Proudly selected among 15 elite North American universities for a leading automotive engineering competition, this unique experience empowers students, turning them into industry-ready leaders and innovators through hands-on exposure to cutting-edge automotive research and development. As part of the EcoCAR EV Challenge, UCR's EcoCAR team prioritizes outreach, focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Energy and Environmental Justice Initiatives. Through community education and engagement, the team is responsible for actively reaching underserved and underprivileged audiences, boosting STEM literacy among K-12 youth, and establishing connections with legislators and local partners to advocate for equity.

Learn more about the team and how you can support (or even join the team!) at ecocar.engr.ucr.edu

Every October UCR CE-CERT opens its laboratories to the public! It's a unique opportunity to network with the dedicated staff, researchers, and students of UCR CE-CERT. Take a guided tour of CE-CERT, engage with our passionate researchers, and gain insights into the latest sustainability technologies being explored. It's a chance to connect, learn, and discover the cutting-edge initiatives that make CE-CERT a hub for innovation.

For over a decade, CE-CERT has collaborated with the annual Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEPCon) and continues to advance STEM education in the Inland Empire. CE-CERT hosts local high school students, providing them with an immersive experience in real-world environmental research in sustainable transportation, microgrids, and atmospheric processes in hopes of inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The STEM Summer Learning Labs offer at no-cost to high school students hands-on learning experiences focused on exciting and high-paying career opportunities utilizing STEM. The interactive sessions provided by CE-CERT allow students to experience first-hand the systems and simulations that CE-CERT students utilize for their research and learn more about the academic pathways the student researchers are taking.

CE-CERT proudly partners with local community colleges. These initiatives, specifically designed to identify and support individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, assist students in preparing for and successfully graduating from college. By hosting these tours, CE-CERT hopes to inspire and guide the next generation, providing them with insights into the world of environmental research and sustainable technologies.