CSX Corporation presented a gift of $25,000 to the Rahall Appalachian Transportation Institute, a National University Transportation Center based at Marshall University, in a ceremony Friday, Jan. 16.
The presentation took place in the office of Interim MU President Gary White in Old Main on the Huntington campus.
The gift increased the total amount of donations from CSX to Marshall to more than $814,000 since 1984, according to Dr. Ron Area, CEO of the Marshall University Foundation Inc.
Randy Cheetham, regional vice president for CSX, presented the check to Frank Betz, RTI’s executive director and CEO.
“The Rahall Transportation Institute has become a great partner with CSX,” Cheetham said. “We’ve worked with them on several research projects, and we’ve found them to be a tremendous resource. We’re very fortunate to have them right here in our own backyard.”
Betz called CSX “a great company” that has been partnering with RTI in rail research for a long time. “We appreciate this latest donation,” he said.
Betz said this donation is going towards future advancements in technology and research at RTI.
Cheetham added, “We have a long history with Marshall University and we are very proud of that partnership. We want to continue to keep it strong and to keep it going.”
CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the nation’s leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company’s transportation network spans approximately 21,000 miles, with service to 23 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and connects to more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports.
RTI is a leader in multimodal transportation and economic development. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation for transportation excellence focused on applied technology, research, education, outreach and training.
Photo: From left, Lance West, Marshall University’s vice president for development; Frank Betz, executive director and CEO of the Rahall Appalachian Transportation Institute; Randy Cheetham, regional vice president with CSX; Gary White, MU’s interim president; Michael Sellards, chairman of the Marshall board of governors, and Dr. Ron Area, CEO of the Marshall Foundation Inc., pose with a check for $25,000 presented from CSX to RTI.