My name is Tyler O’Hare and I was recently awarded the opportunity, through the generous support of Austraffic and ITE, to attend the TRB annual meeting in Washington D.C in early January.

I was overwhelmed and nervous with the thought of attending a conference with 10,000 other professionals, however, in the space of 6 days those nerves had diminished and I was confidently speaking with international Engineers and navigating my way through the maze that is the Washington D.C Conference Centre. During my time there, I:

• Assisted in presenting my University research to a room full of attendees and answered their questions in front of my poster at a later session.
• Attended countless lectorial and poster sessions on areas of interest and areas outside my general scope.
• Rode in a fully autonomous mini-bus and explored the future of transport technology in the exhibit hall.
• Visited the ITE headquarters and met with the very popular Bruce and Randy (international president and vice president) and snapped a photo with the prestigious Traffic Bowl trophy and John Davis.
• Braved the snow and attended a dinner for Monash staff and students.

Although the trip was brief, it contributed significantly to my personal and professional growth. The countless learnings I take from attending the TRB annual meeting will assist me greatly in my future development. I would like to again thank Austraffic and ITE for funding and enabling me to attend this conference and encourage all other young professionals to apply for the World Wide Learning Opportunity, it’s a deep end of a pool well worth diving into!