Morgan State University is leading a smart cities training program

Morgan State University is leading a consortium to providing training in smart cities technology to students and teachers.

The project, known as “REU-RET Mega-Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Teachers in Smart and Connected Cities,” involves a total of 14 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and one Hispanic Serving Institution. The National Science Foundation recently announced funding for an initial phase of the three-year, $2.3-million project.

The project aims to recruit a diverse population of students that are underrepresented in STEM and teachers that work at K-12 schools and community colleges, according to a news release from Morgan State. The students and teachers will get training on the connected devices associated with smart cities, which are being developed in areas like transportation, energy, water use and trash cans. They’ll also get instruction on the sensors and data tools that underpin the technology.

“This project is one of a kind,” said Morgan associate professor of electrical and computer engineering Kofi Nyarko, who is the principal investigator on the project. “It involves HBCUs and HSIs in a way that will bring research experience to a very wide Hispanic and African-American population, with the ultimate goal of moving the needle in terms of representation of Africans Americans and Hispanics in higher education, specifically in master’s and doctoral programs in engineering.”

Morgan State will be one of five host sites for the program, which aims to train 30 students and 15 teachers annually.