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Research

MnDOT shares knowledge at national research conference

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MnDOT employees are sharing knowledge and displaying leadership in Washington this week by delivering presentations and conducting meetings at the nation’s preeminent transportation conference.

trbThe Transportation Research Board (TRB) 96th Annual Meeting held Jan. 8-12 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., is expected to draw more than 12,000 transportation professionals from around the world. According to its website, the 2017 event scheduled more than 5,000 presentations in more than 800 sessions and workshops addressing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. TRB’s 2017 annual meeting theme is “Transportation Innovation: Leading the Way in an Era of Rapid Change.”

“Every year when TRB holds its annual meeting, MnDOT’s strong presence at the event is a reminder of our state’s commitment to top-notch transportation research,” said Linda Taylor, director of MnDOT Research Services and Library.

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Brad Larsen (left), MnPASS Policy and Planning Program Director, speaks with a conference attendee during a poster session this week at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Larsen was one of two dozen MnDOT employees invited to deliver presentations at the national transportation research event.

The following is a roundup of MnDOT employees who were invited to deliver presentations and participate in key committee meetings along with their presentation topics and committees (not all staff may have attended the conference; however, due to limited funding or availability):

Kenneth Buckeye, Financial Management

Thomas Burnham, Materials & Road Research

Kathryn Caskey, Transportation System Management

Shongtao Dai, Materials & Road Research

Dan Franta, District 7

Timothy Henkel, Modal Planning & Program Management 

Kyle Hoegh, Materials & Road Research

 Bruce Holdhusen, Transportation System Management

 Santiago Huerta, Metro District

Bernard Izevbekhai, Materials & Road Research

Brad Larsen, Metro District

Rita Lederle, Bridges

Francis Loetterle, Passenger Rail

Dean Mikulik, Materials & Road Research (student worker)

Mark Nelson, Transportation System Management

Steven Olson, Materials & Road Research

David Solsrud, Modal Planning & Program Management 

Trisha Stefanski, Modal Planning & Program Management 

Joel Ulring, State Aid for Local Transportation

Jennifer Wells, Bridges

Benjamin Worel, Materials & Road Research

Charles Zelle, Commissioner

Research

MnDOT leaders highlight TRB benefits at forum

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As a graduate student 35 years ago, Bill Gardner attended his first Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, and he still remembers the thrill.

“I felt like a kid in a candy shop,” recalled Gardner, who heads MnDOT’s Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations. “I was amazed at the diversity of topics… You could find people who have devoted their whole lives to the hazards of rural mailboxes.”

Gardner and other MnDOT leaders on Tuesday recounted their experiences from this year’s annual meeting — which drew more than 10,000 participants — and encouraged other MnDOT staff to get involved in the organization, which helps set national transportation guidelines, oversees collaborative research and facilitates the exchange of information.

“We’re heavily involved, but I think we could be more involved,” said Modal Planning and Program Management Director Tim Henkel, who has been part of the TRB for more than 20 years.

Henkel said TRB involvement benefits MnDOT in several ways, including access to national and international experts, the ability to keep tabs on hot-button issues and having a seat at the table in decision-making.

“It makes us a more enlightened and informed decision-making body,” Henkel said.

MnDOT has more than 60 staff serving on 114 TRB committees and contributes $125,000 annually to the TRB core program, gaining $127 in collaborative research for every $1 it contributes.

“It’s a very intense and very busy experience," said Chief MnDOT Engineer Deputy Commissioner and Chief Engineer Sue Mulvihill, who displayed the thick program book and other materials from this year’s Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.
“It’s a very intense and very busy experience,” said MnDOT Deputy Commissioner and Chief Engineer Sue Mulvihill, who displayed the thick program book and other materials from this year’s Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.

As part of a series of staff forums they will hold throughout the year, MnDOT leaders chose to highlight the TRB, which met in January. (MnDOT employees interested in attending next year or getting involved in the TRB should speak with their supervisor.)

State Bridge Engineer Nancy Daubenberger, who serves on a TRB subcommittee and gave a presentation at the recent conference, said it helps to hear about the challenges faced by agencies around the country.

Assistant Engineering Services Division Director Amr Jabr, who attended for the first time, said he used a smartphone app just to decide which of the approximately 3,500 sessions he wanted to attend.

“I thought it was an extremely good experience,” he said. “I picked up a lot of information and made a lot of new contacts.”