NDSU transportation and logistics graduate student Brett Korporaal earned first place in the student research paper competition for the 20th National Conference for Rural and Intercity Bus Transportation. Korporaal will receive $1,000 and the opportunity to attend the conference in Salt Lake City in October.

In the contest, students were encouraged to address topics related to the conference theme, "Connecting Communities Through Public Transportation." Korporaal’s paper, “Connecting Gateway Communities to Yellowstone National Park: A Proposal for a Public Transportation System Servicing the Great Yellowstone Region,” addresses the lack of a public transit system to provide access to Yellowstone National Park. In the paper, he proposes a public transportation system for the greater Yellowstone region that will provide mobility and accessibility to gateway communities for residents and visitors within the region, as well as protect the park’s pristine environment.

Korporaal is a graduate research assistant with the Small Urban and Rural Transit Center pursuing a master’s degree in transportation and urban systems at NDSU. He is from San Diego and earned his bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Patten University, Oakland, Calif.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.