The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is an international, educational, and scientific association of transportation professionals who are responsible for meeting mobility and safety needs. ITE facilitates the application of technology and scientific principles to research, planning, functional design, implementation, operation, policy development and management for any mode of ground transportation. ITE promotes professional development of its members, supports and encourages education, stimulates research, develops public awareness programs and serves as a conduit for the exchange of professional information.
Clearly, ITE does a lot for engineering and the field of public transportation, but ITE also does a lot to serve students. At UCI, ITE is not only a student-led organization, but is also a class that can be taken for 4 Units of CEE Transportation specialization credit. As a year-long course, their events and activities are perfect for students interested in or trying to get into the engineering field.
For one, they are in charge of several social and networking events with transportation professionals, hosting guest speakers from industry and academia. Event topics range greatly, including anything from, simply, how to get into the field of transportation engineering or even new breakthroughs in transportation technology. Some tours they have done include visits to LA Metro Headquarters or the Anaheim Traffic Management Center. There is also a year-long technical project which is presented at the end of the year student night event in Southern California. For students not at UCI, they even have other student chapters at surrounding schools that UCI often partners with.
Earlier this year in February, the ITE chapter at UCI partnered with the CSU Fullerton and USC Chapters to host the annual ITE Western District Student Leadership Conference. During the 3-day event, students mingled and networked with industry professionals through resume workshops, site tours, and a career fair. Students were able to share their passion for transportation, develop relationships, and gain insightful knowledge from industry speakers. The next annual leadership event will be held at CSU San Luis Obispo from February 2nd-4th, 2024.
Picture: 2023 ITE Western District Student Leadership Conference