Dr. Ezike and I started our conversation with the usual “elevator pitch” introduction, then because I could, I wanted to talk about N.C. State University, where we both did our undergraduate studies, because I could and because this episode is coming out on the eve of me attending my cousin’s commencement ceremony from N.C. State, and a lot of other folks’s graduations as well.

Also, we discuss our towns where we grew up, the merits of Ann Arbor, Michigan where he did his graduate study, how D.C. is basically an adult college town, and not just for those who went to universities there and finally, we get back to the very important work he’s doing right now, making sure all voices are heard and considered if and when we bring autonomous vehicles (a.k.a driverless cars) to the market.

You can find him @drrcezike on all the major socials (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), just like you can find me on all the major socials @blackurbanist.

And here’s his more formal bio from the Union of Concerned Scientists and that blog post he mentioned on the show about new mobility and transportation equity, a report of his on transportation equity from his time at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and how the F.A.S.T Act will affect African-American communities.

Richard Ezike is the Mobility and Equity Kendall Science Fellow with the Clean Vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. His interests lie in the intersection of equity, accessibility, and providing opportunity for every person to a robust transportation system.

Prior to joining UCS, Dr. Ezike taught chemistry at Northern Virginia Community College, and served as a transportation fellow for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, where he studied opportunities for improved access to transit for African Americans. Dr. Ezike has also worked as an environmental consultant and a patent analyst. His doctoral research focused on developing catalysts to reduce dangerous emissions of nitrogen oxides from diesel-powered cars. Additionally, he worked on developing catalysts to convert carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide to potential alternative fuels.

Dr. Ezike earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University, and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan. He serves on the Riders Advisory Council of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and on several advisory committees for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

And finally the Brookings article on the future of work and the Center for Global Policy Solutions article on the same thing, but with a larger transportation focus.

Listen via Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/kristen-jeffers/dr-richard-ezike-dc-based-transportation-equity-researcher-and-fellow-nc-state-wolfpacker

Libsyn (note, this is set to autoplay, hit pause, to well, pause)

Or on Radio Public, where your listens help pay me and keep the show going.

I’m also pretty much anywhere you can find podcasts and adding myself to more players daily..

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