On January 9, 2018, the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies and Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies hosted their 25th annual reception at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (TRB). The reception, held at Busboys and Poets, gave faculty, alumni, students, and friends of UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs the chance to convene after the third day of conference sessions.

Over the course of TRB, UCLA was represented in seven lectern sessions and two poster presentations in addition to representation at numerous meetings. And while many of the attendees had multiple days of the conference under their belt there was no lack of energy and excitement at the reception as evidenced by the packed venue well past the reception’s stated end time.

Alumni who had graduated recently and in decades past reunited from all across the country. “The UCLA reception continues to be one of my favorite TRB events” shared Allison Yoh (Ph.D 2008, MURP 2002). “It’s where I go to catch up with former colleagues and meet bright UCLA students who will become my future colleagues in transportation.”

The reception also gave current students a unique insight into the school’s expansive network not often visible from the confines of the classroom. “The reception was a great way to take a break (from TRB sessions and meetings) and meet alumni from Washington, D.C. and across the country” said Ryan Yowell, a first-year UCLA Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) student. Kidada Malloy, also a first-year MURP, highlighted the experience of meeting new peers and colleagues: “TRB was most valuable because I got to experience it with other UCLA and USC planning students, and learn about their interests and future goals.”

As a current student of UCLA’s MURP program myself, it is inspiring to see UCLA’s enduring commitment to a network of passionate professionals. Whether they were fellow students, alumni, or friends like those from PSR (Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center) and USC’s METRANS, we were able to experience a mutual curiosity and excitement for TRB and the transportation field as a whole."

About the Author: Henry Phipps

 Henry Phipps is a second-year Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) student at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs with a concentration in Transportation Policy and Planning. He currently interns   with Los Angeles Metro’s Active Transportation team. Henry has been involved in transportation ever since stumbling into a planning committee meeting in high school and has been passionate about multi-modal transportation planning and policy ever since. He can be reached at [email protected].

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