TRB 2007

TRB 2006

TRB 2005

TRB 2004

• Support your classmates and professors! Please attend presentations and poster sessions where your fellow students and professors are presenting. You can search the TRB program for "Portland State University" to get a listing.
• Washington, D.C. is also a very special place, with great museums and historical sights. To avoid getting overloaded, we suggest you try to split your time in D.C. by attending some:
  • TRB Sessions (podium and poster presentations). There are more than 3,000 presentations in more than 600 sessions spread out over three hotels. Pace yourself!
  • TRB Committee meetings (where the real work gets done). All committees are volunteer, and I suggest you find one or two that address your area of interest. If you want to become a "Friend" of one of the committees, make sure you go to their meeting and sign the attendance sheet. Committees also have several slots for younger members so you can contact the committee chair if you are interested in getting involved. Volunteering to review papers or work on their website are other ways to get involved.
  • Social events such as receptions sponsored by other universities or prospective employers (see ITS lab conference wiki for a listing).
  • Also take time to see some of D.C. We particularly recommend the Lincoln Memorial, the Mall, National Gallery of Art, National Archives, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and American History Museum. These are all free! Georgetown is a nice place to walk around.
• Don't overdo it on one of the above four items but split your time.
• Be prepared for cold weather outside (especially if you're from somewhere warm), and unusually warm temperatures inside hotels and other buildings (compared to Portland standards). Winter coat, scarf, hat, and gloves are recommended.
• The attire at the Annual Meeting is more formal than we're used to in Portland, so standard business attire (pretend you have a job interview) is the norm (see photos on this page).
• Don't be shy about asking questions, asking people for their business cards and making connections with students from other universities and future employers. Everyone has nametags so you never know who you might meet! You might want to think about bringing resumes and/or printing some temporary business cards.
• Please attend the OTREC reception, where we will take our annual TRB photo, on Sunday at 6:00 pm at the Marriott Maryland AB.
• Some Travel Hints:
  • Using the Metro is easy and safe and the best way to get around D.C.
  • There is a free TRB Shuttle between the three conference hotels.
  • There are three airports serving Washington: National (with direct connection to the Metro), Dulles (you need to take the Washington Flyer shuttle), and Baltimore (usually cheaper airfares from PDX, and you can take Amtrak to Union Station and then transfer to the Metro).
  • When checking out of your hotel remember to pay for your part of the hotel bill; it will make reimbursements easier (PSU can't reimburse you for a receipt with someone else's name on it)
  • All food at the hotels is expensive, you might want to consider attending receptions or getting some snacks for your room.
• If you have questions please ask! While in D.C. if you need anything you can contact Dr. Bertini at 503.936.9122 and Dr. Monsere at 503.757.8818.

NOTE: this page is a work in progress! Please provide comments or suggestions based on your experiences. We hope you have a great experience. Safe travels!

Last updated: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 6:32 PM