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January 08, 2017

Krishnan Discusses Smart Mobility at Consumer Electronics Show

By Michael Cunningham
   
Ramayya KrishnanRamayya Krishnan, dean of Carnegie Mellon University's H. John Heinz III College, shared his expertise on smart cities and mobility as a guest panelist at the Consumer Technology Association's 2017 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
 
As a member of the "Smart Cities, Smart States, Smart Mobility" panel, Krishnan spoke about the intersection of smart transportation technology, policy and effective business models that form the foundation for solutions to mobility problems that cities and communities face.

"Pittsburgh has had the visionary leaders in both the public sector and the philanthropic community who understand this three-pronged strategic approach, which has enabled the community to test and ultimately utilize many smart city applications," Krishnan said.
 
Krishnan cited CMU's partnership with the City of Pittsburgh and the support of the Hillman Foundation, the Heinz Endowments and the Richard King Mellon Foundation in developing and implementing smart traffic signals to shorten travel times and reduce harmful vehicle emissions as an example of technology and policy working together to create a tangible smart city solution.
 
"That was a big win for both the city and the university," Krishnan said.
 
William Eggers, executive director of the Center for Government Insights at Deloitte, LLP, moderated the panel discussion, which also included Vinn White, Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation, John Skowron, global consulting public sector leader at Deloitte, and Anand Shah, vice president of the Albright Stonebridge Group's India and South Asia practice.
 
Under Krishnan's leadership, the Heinz College, in partnership with the College of Engineering, has co-led the Metro 21 initiative, which focuses on 21st-century solutions to the challenges facing metro areas. Since its launch in 2014, CMU's Metro21 initiative has funded more than 30 research projects aimed at improving the quality of life for citizens of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

In September 2015, Metro21 and the City of Pittsburgh were founding members of the MetroLab Network, a group of more than 35 city-university partnerships in the U.S. focused on bringing data, analytics and innovation to city government through the development of smart city applications.

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