John A. Volpe Transportation Internship
Leopold E. Wetula
2001-2003 Internship Recipient
The Research and Special Programs Administration's Volpe National Transportation Systems Center announced Leopold E. Wetula, a law student at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, as the recipient of the John A. Volpe Transportation Internship for the second year running. This internship program was created to recognize the contributions of the second Secretary of Transportation, John A. Volpe.
The Volpe Transportation Internship features major tuition assistance and paid work opportunities at the Volpe Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for selected outstanding graduate students in engineering, scientific, and social science disciplines who have expressed an interest in working in the field of transportation.
Mr. Wetula spent the past year using his knowledge and expertise in airport and airline economics to support the Volpe Center's intercity passenger transportation projects, assessing the impacts of new intercity technologies and changing policies and costs. Projects that Mr. Wetula has been working on include exploring policy, technology, and infrastructure investment options for mitigating airport congestion, especially in shorter distance markets where improved rail service or the use of secondary airports might offer realistic alternatives to traditional air service. Mr. Wetula has also been involved in assessing the potential market for a small aircraft transportation system that would utilize lower-cost avionics and aircraft to serve travel demand outside of the traditional hub-and-spoke system.
Mr. Wetula has worked under the direction of Mr. Ron Mauri since joining the staff of the Center's Office of System and Economic Assessment in August 2001 but will be returning to the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law for the 2002-2003 academic year. He will return next summer to continue his work with Mr. Mauri.
