PROFESSION...

Getting Involved

There are many ways to get involved in transportation at PSU. First, join transportation email list, and attend the Friday transportation seminars (either in person or on-line). Join the national organization of the Institute of Transportation Engineers as well as the PSU student chapter. ITE also has an Oregon Section with monthly meetings (with student discounts) where you can meet and interact with transportation professionals who frequently are looking for interns. ITE's District 6 website also has a wealth of resources relating to the transportation profession. The best way to get involved in transportation is to get to know people! The PSU CEE department also maintains a list of firms/agencies looking for interns or permanent employees. Here are links to the PSU Community Development Student Group and the PSU Planning Club.

ITS America is the central clearing house for Intelligent Transportation Systems issues, and ITS Oregon is the statewide chapter. I am a member of the ITE District 6 Student and Faculty Iniatives Committee. Some ITE Resources:

The Transportation Research Board offers a wealth of opportunities to get invovled in learning about and contributing to the practice of transportation engineering and planning. I am a member of the Committee on Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics. If you plan to attend a TRB Annual Meeting, see my Survival Guide.

Browse the web and become familiar with transportation agencies such as ODOT, TriMet and the City of Portland and some local consulting firms such as David Evans & Associates, Kittelson and Associates, DKS Associates and Parsons Brinckerhoff. Become familiar with the transportation literature, visit the PSU Library and browse a recent copy of the ITE Journal and study the professional advertisements in the back--most transportation engineering firms are listed there.
Finally, I recommend that you take advantage of the excellent services offered by the PSU Career Center. They have resume writing workshops and practice interviews, among other valuable services. I frequently am asked to review students' resumes and cover letters, and I am very happy to do so! Here is a sample Resume and Cover Letter [COMING SOON]. Be sure to use action verbs when describing your experience. See if you can find other resources to improve your own, and then send them to me as a Word file and I'll be happy to make some suggestions! Nervous about interviewing? Here are some good suggested questions to ask you interviewer. Sometimes people are interested in finding forensic experts in transportation engineering. ITE has a database that can be searched for such experts.

Last updated: Saturday, April 26, 2008 11:47 AM