UTA In The News — Friday, October 16, 2020
Pavement markings study
Katie Kam, UTA assistant professor of research, is investigating the effectiveness of implementing green pavement markings to denote where bicyclists have dedicated lanes or share the road with motorists, NewsRx Science Daily reported. This TxDOT-funded research project will examine the use, safety, longevity and performance of the pavement markings, which are painted green to increase their visibility to cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.
Real-time gas leak data
Kathleen Smits, UTA associate professor of civil engineering, is developing a gas-sensing protocol to help industry and regulators monitor underground natural gas leaks in real time, Energy Business Daily reported. Smits recently received a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to monitor known gas leaks in urban and rural pipelines, help assess their severity, and determine what to do about them.
Postpartum depression study
Researchers hope that the issue of mothers with postpartum depression having suicidal thoughts is elevated as not only a mental health problem, but also as a public health concern, following a recent study published in Social Work in Mental Health, The University of Hawai’i reported. The suicidality study was conducted by UTA’s Regina Praetorius and faculty from the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.