The University of Arkansas Civil Engineering Department was well represented at the Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting with seven current graduate students; Ali Al-Salman, Bryan Casillas, Joseph Daniels, Michael Deschenes, Tim Moody, Airam Morales, and Sadie Smith and recent undergraduate student, Rebekah Porter.

The Transportation Research Board annual meeting was held Jan. 8-12, in Washington, D.C., and hosted more than 13,000 transportation professionals from around the world. The focus of each annual meeting is to present innovative research in the field of transportation.

From left, Michael Deschenes, Airam Morales, Tim Moody, Sadie Smith, Bryan Casillas and Rebekah Porter at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Airam Morales, Bryan Casillas, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, Tim Moody and Michael Deschenes.

Bryan Casillas, Joseph Daniels and Michael Deschenes.

During the Transportation Research Board annual meeting, Smith was featured in several sessions in which she presented current and past research, and Daniels was selected to present his research in a poster session. Casillas, Daniels, and Deschenes, recipients of the Federal Highway Administration's 2016-2017 Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship, were honored for their contributions to transportation-related research during the annual meeting at a reception for fellowship recipients, and Moody was honored for receiving the University Transportation Centers' Outstanding Student of the Year award for his research sponsored by MarTREC.

In addition to attending the annual meeting, the students were presented an opportunity to tour the U.S. Capitol and meet two members of the United States Congress representing Arkansas, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman and U.S. Sen. John Boozman.

"Conferences are by far the best way to meet people and to get your name out there," said transportation engineer Andrew Braham, assistant professor of civil engineering. "I believe it is critically important for students to travel to conferences in order to not only heighten their technical knowledge but also lay the foundation for future professional opportunities."