2026 Quarles Convocation featuring Dr. Moges Ayele

Morgan State University recently welcomed distinguished alumnus and longtime transportation leader Dr. Moges Ayele as the featured speaker for the 2026 Quarles Convention. A member of the Morgan State University Class of 1969, Dr. Ayele returned to campus to reflect on the vital role of transportation in the United States and to share insights on the evolution of transportation research and education at Morgan.

Dr. Ayele earned his Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Southern California and has built a career that bridges scholarship, public service, and transportation policy. Over the course of his career, he served 23 years as a faculty member at Morgan State University, where he helped shape the foundation of the university’s transportation education and research programs.

During his time at Morgan, Dr. Ayele was affiliated with the Center for Urban Affairs as both a faculty member and researcher. In 1981, he became director of the Center for Transportation Studies, which at the time housed Morgan’s transportation graduate program. The center later evolved into what is now the Department of Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Studies (TUIS)—home to the nation’s only ABET-accredited comprehensive transportation program.

You can view his talk on YouTube at the link below. His presentation begins around 31:00.

https://www.youtube.com/live/I8Od7JXNG_8?si=vl8VccaTrRoH5TIa&t=1856

Picture (L to R): Dr. Celeste Chavis, Chair of Transportation & Urban Infrastructure Studies; Dr. Anthony Saka, Chair Emeritus; Dr. Moges Ayele, Founding Director of Center for Transportation Studies; Dr. Mansoureh Jeihani, Director of National Transportation Center