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SMART News

ARPA-I Ideas Challenge | December 9, 2025

Secretary Sean Duffy joined ARPA-I Ideas Challenge Stage 1 Winners

Secretary Sean Duffy joined ARPA-I Ideas Challenge Stage 1 winners at USDOT headquarters in Washington, DC, for the Innovation Workshop (“Ideas Bootcamp”). SMART Director Stan Caldwell participated in the Ideas Bootcamp along with various SMART grantees and partners from the 15 Stage 1 winning teams.
Secretary Sean Duffy joined Stage 1 ARPA-I Ideas Challenge winners at the U.S. DOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C., for the Innovation Workshop (“Ideas Bootcamp”). 

Secretary Sean Duffy joined ARPA-I Ideas Challenge Stage 1 winners at USDOT headquarters in Washington, DC, for the Innovation Workshop (“Ideas Bootcamp”). SMART Director Stan Caldwell participated in the Ideas Bootcamp along with various SMART grantees and partners from the 15 Stage 1 winning teams.

SMART Retreat | December 4, 2025 

SMART Staff Attends Annual Strategic Planning Retreat in D.C.

SMART Retreat Attendees including Alfreda Johnson, Raine Pike Thy Nguyen, Stan Caldwell, and Melissa Wong from the Volpe Center, met in Washington, D.C. to plan SMART initiatives for 2026. The team also had an opportunity to meet with modal subject matter experts, OST-R staff and leadership including Seval Oz, Michael Halem, and Lee White, in addition to Assistant Secretary of Tribal Government Affairs, James Crawford.
SMART staff from L:R including Raine Pike, Alfreda Johnson, Melissa Wong from the Volpe Center, Stan Caldwell, and Thy Nguyen, attend SMART Strategic Planning Retreat in Washington, D.C. 

SMART staff including Alfreda Johnson, Raine Pike Thy Nguyen, Stan Caldwell, and Melissa Wong from the Volpe Center, met in Washington, D.C. to plan SMART initiatives for 2026.  The team also had an opportunity to meet with modal subject matter experts, OST-R staff and leadership including Seval Oz, Michael Halem, and Lee White, in addition to Assistant Secretary of Tribal Government Affairs, James Crawford.  

Cherokee Nation Site Visit & Demonstration | December 2025

SMART Team Conducts Site Visit for Flight Demonstration of Cherokee Nation-owned Drone Delivery Network

The SMART team conducted a site visit to see the proposed work through a flight demonstration at Cherokee Nation, the first step toward a sustainable, Cherokee Nation-owned drone delivery network capable of supporting health centers across the territory. Future expansion will be guided by Stage 1 operational results, specific customer needs, and long-term healthcare goals for Cherokee and the community it serves!

Cherokee Nation building where flight demonstration was conducted for a drone delivery network.
The Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma where the SMART Team conducted a flight demonstration of a drone delivery network.
The SMART team conducted a site visit to see the proposed work through a flight demonstration at Cherokee Nation, the first step toward a sustainable, Cherokee Nation-owned drone delivery network capable of supporting health centers across the territory. Future expansion will be guided by Stage 1 operational results, specific customer needs, and long-term healthcare goals for Cherokee and the community it serves!
Drone used in flight demonstration outside of Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. 
The SMART team conducted a site visit to see the proposed work through a flight demonstration at Cherokee Nation, the first step toward a sustainable, Cherokee Nation-owned drone delivery network capable of supporting health centers across the territory. Future expansion will be guided by Stage 1 operational results, specific customer needs, and long-term healthcare goals for Cherokee and the community it serves!
Drone used in flight demonstration outside of Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. 

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Last updated: Tuesday, January 27, 2026