EMBA Grad Helps Secure ‘Transformative’ $40 Million Grant for UMD Transportation

On June 27, the University of Maryland announced the acquisition of roughly $40 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration for the school’s electric Shuttle-UM fleet under the FY23 Low-No Emission Grants Program.

Valerie Goubeau, EMBA ’21, assistant director of UMD’s Department of Transportation Services, worked with her team to secure funding for purchasing 35 battery-powered electric buses, bus charging stations and infrastructure renovations enabling onsite electric bus charging.

The grant is a significant step forward in advancing UMD’s Climate Action Plan goal of becoming a Net Zero Carbon Neutral campus by 2025 by accelerating the transition from a fleet of diesel buses to electric, reducing a meaningful portion of the university’s greenhouse gas inventory.

It’s a transformative grant, says Goubeau, given that electric buses cost roughly twice as much as their diesel counterparts. This funding will help alleviate budget constraints and maintain the shuttle fleet size on campus. Additionally, other commuters, including pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, will benefit from the reduced noise and air pollution along Shuttle-UM routes with the transition to an electric fleet.

“This grant offers a significant financial benefit to UMD students, who represent the largest segment of Shuttle ridership and who have historically been asked to pay for enhancements like these via mandatory student fees,” says Goubeau. “This award allows us to shift our thinking from a negative and reactive space to one filled with optimism and excitement.”

The application process, which Goubeau says was a “highly visible, time-intensive effort,” required significant planning before the solicitation window from late January through mid-April.

One of the largest hurdles cleared during the process was configuring the budget to capture the accurate cost of the projects, Goubeau says. In addition to the cost of the buses, the budget also accounted for infrastructure renovation, staff development and institutional costs applied to sponsored projects.

Between creating the budget, conducting research, working with other administrators and ultimately crafting a proposal with a $40 million ask, Goubeau says her experience and skills gained during her time in the Robert H. Smith School of Business’ EMBA program helped prepare her for the entrepreneurial aspects of the process.

“I graduated from the EMBA program with a much better understanding of my strengths and how to maximize them to do great work,” says Goubeau. “The proposal had narrative, equity and environmental analyses and financial components that needed to be presented as a cohesive story.”