MTC Asset Newsletter Summer 2004

An Eno Fellow's Experience

by Hillary Isebrands, Iowa State University

Eno fellows on steps of hotel

Hilary Isebrands (light blue shirt), MTC Scholar from Iowa State University, poses with the other Eno Fellows in Washington, D.C.

The 12th Annual Eno Foundation Leadership Development Conference on Transportation Policy, held in Washington, D.C. in May was a once in a lifetime experience for any graduate student pursuing a career in transportation. It was an honor to be selected to attend the conference by the Eno Transportation Foundation Board of Regents. Not only were the conference speakers outstanding and inspiring, but the 2004 Eno fellows’ backgrounds and futures were equally impressive. The 20 Eno fellows were selected from universities across the country with transportation programs. Each fellow brought a diverse transportation background in engineering, planning, or policy.

Being the only Eno fellow from a predominantly rural area and background, I found myself learning a great deal about large metropolitan transit systems and railroad and maritime issues. At the same time, I tried to communicate a few of the concerns we see in rural areas (i.e., fatalities at rural intersections, growth of the elderly population in rural areas without public transportation) with the other Eno fellows to help them see the importance of funding in rural states.

It was apparent that the 2004 Eno fellows shared a similar passion for the transportation profession and were all striving to make the profession stronger through education, working together as a team regardless of expertise, and learning from each other to make our communities a better place to live. Some of the intense discussions among the Eno fellows included the importance of considering all transportation systems and context sensitive solutions (design), integrating planning and engineering concepts, and multi-modal systems. As future transportation leaders, we know that we are faced with challenges that focus around providing a transportation system that provides mobility for all people and goods in a safe, efficient, and environmentally conscience manner. Transportation is the backbone of our economy, and it will be our job to ensure that we continue to maintain and enhance the system.

The Leadership Development Conference also opened my eyes to the significance of the inter-modal transportation system. Each of the various modes of transportation is related to some degree; therefore support, or lack thereof, affects all modes. For example, shipping containers are loaded onto rail cars, using the railroad tracks, or trucks, using highways, to transport the goods. A breakdown (i.e., congestion, lack of infrastructure maintenance, incident) anywhere in the system influences the productivity and efficiency of transportation.

Having a better understanding of transportation policy provides me with an appreciation for how various research, design, and construction projects are funded and the effort that goes into these decisions. It is also essential that as future transportation professionals we stay active in transportation policy issues no matter what career we choose within transportation; it is the only way we can make a long term difference.

Eno Career Tips

Several other significant messages that surfaced during the week:

Eno Speakers

The Eno Transportation Foundation staff organized a phenomenal panel of speakers, several of whom are included in the “who’s who” in Transportation:

The MTC is administered by the Center for Transportation Research and Education.

CTRE is an Iowa State University center.

Address: 2711 S. Loop Drive, Suite 4700, Ames, IA 50010-8664

Phone: 515-294-8103
FAX: 515-294-0467

Website: www.ctre.iastate.edu/