CN contributes $575,000 to establish the CN Rail Studies Fund at UW-Superior

CN, one of North America’s largest railroads, today announced a $575,000 gift to the University of Wisconsin-Superior to create the CN

Rail Studies Fund. The contribution will help the university’s Transportation and Logistics Management program recruit and educate more

students for careers in the growing railroad industry.

Gordon Trafton, CN’s senior vice-president, U.S. Region, said, “As a long-time supporter of transportation education, we at CN are very

proud to more than double our support of the University of Wisconsin-Superior. It is important for students studying transportation and

logistics to learn about the cost, service and environmental advantages of shipping by rail and about the contributions the rail industry makes

to our nation’s economy.”

The CN Rail Studies Fund will expand CN’s existing partnership with UW-Superior to create rail professionals. The partnership will

become a comprehensive program focused on recruiting students interested in rail careers for the university’s Transportation and Logistics

Management program, and supporting them through scholarships, rail-related research opportunities, and CN internships. It also will provide

support for program and faculty development in the rail industry.

CN gift will help university prepare more rail transportation professionals...

“We are pleased and honored that CN is substantially expanding its commitment to work with UWSuperior to educate people to operate

and lead the railroad industry in the 21st century,” said Chancellor Julius Erlenbach. “The CN Rail Studies Fund is a perfect fit with

Campaign Superior: Higher Expectations, which includes among its goals providing students with interactive, engaging experiences that link

academic study to real-world experiences.”

U.S. Representative David Obey (D-Wisconsin) and U.S. Representative James Oberstar (D-Minnesota) expressed their appreciation of

CN’s continuing partnership with UW-Superior. “Since Congress first approved my request for funding for the Transportation and Logistics

Management program at UW-Superior in 1999, the University of Wisconsin-Superior has become a leader in transportation research and

in training young people for management jobs in the transportation industry,” said Congressman Obey. “Everyone knows there are serious

challenges for rail, maritime and other modes of transportation in the region. The UWSuperior Transportation and Logistics Management

program is helping to meet those challenges by providing needed training opportunities that are simply not available anywhere else and the

support of CN for the program is an important element of the public, academic and private partnership that is essential if we are to meet

these challenges successfully.”

“I was so heartened to hear of CN’s generous contribution to the UW-Superior Transportation and Logistics Management Program,” said

Congressman Oberstar. “By investing in the community and the future of the railroad industry, CN has demonstrated great wisdom and

forethought. This contribution is also evidence that the UW-Superior Transportation and Logistics Management Program has earned

enormous respect within the industry. Encouraging young people to pursue a career in the railroad industry will pay great dividends for the

entire nation.” The transportation industry, including rail, is one of the nation’s fastest-growing career fields. The Railroad Retirement Board

projects that more than 80,000 workers will enter the railroad industry in the next six years.

In response to industry need, UW-Superior offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Transportation and Logistics Management. Students

majoring in the program benefit from the university’s personal attention and quality business programs as well as Superior’s role as a

Midwest transportation hub.

Dr. Richard Stewart has led the Transportation and Logistics Management program since its inception in 1999.  He also directs the

Transportation and Logistics Research Center at UW-Superior. Dr. Xiubin Wang joined the program in 2002. “CN is Wisconsin’s largest

railroad, and it has played a major role in our program by working with us on student internships, placing graduating students, research, joint

public forums and providing guest speakers,” Dr. Stewart said.

The CN Rail Studies Fund will assist UW-Superior in pursuing its goal of increasing enrollment in its Transportation and Logistics

Management program from its current level of 63 students to 90 by 2010. Plans call for the program to recruit students, including women

and minority students, through outreach to high schools.

Additional support for students will come through scholarship programs for new students, establishing new scholarships for continuing

students, and continuation of the program’s current CN Scholarships. Once in the Transportation and Logistics Management program,

students pursuing rail careers can compete for an annual opportunity to conduct a rail-related research project supervised by a faculty

member and a CN official. A student also will be selected each year for an internship with CN. Faculty members will increase their expertise

by working with and studying CN departments. They will then bring that knowledge to their classrooms.

Canadian National Railway Company spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving

the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key cities of Toronto, Buffalo,

Chicago, Detroit, Superior/Duluth, Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, St. Louis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to

all points in North America.

CN’s gift is made to UW-Superior through Campaign Superior: Higher Expectations, a comprehensive plan to ensure the university

provides the facilities, programs, and support needed for students to become active learners and engaged citizens for the 21st century.

The campaign, unveiled in July 2004, will raise $17.5 million by 2009. For more information about Campaign Superior visit the

campaign website at www.uwsuper.edu/campaignsuperior or call toll free 888-893-8593.

(This article is from the January 20, 2006 issue of the UWS Bulletin, which can be found online at  http://www.uwsuper.edu/bulletin/01-20-06.pdf)