ITS-Davis Highlights from TRB 2025

Following last year’s historic showing, ITS-Davis again had a strong representation at the Transportation Research Board’s 104th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC this month.  Braving snowy conditions, students and researchers participated in nearly 70 lectern sessions, poster presentations, and workshops. In addition, several students and researchers were honored with significant awards.

At an awards banquet hosted by the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC), ITS-Davis students Sarah Dennis received the National Center of Sustainable Transportation’s (NCST) Outstanding Student of the Year award and Xiatian (Summer) Iogansen received the Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center Outstanding Student of the Year award. Later in the week, the NCST also hosted its 11th annual Capitol Hill Research Briefing, which focused on “Federal Policy Opportunities for Improving the Electric Vehicle Charging Ecosystem.” ITS-Davis researchers Gil Tal, Vaishnavi Karanam, and University of Vermont’s Dana Rowangould presented to more than 60 congressional staffers, academics, and members of the public and private sectors.

Researchers and students presented in lectern sessions, poster sessions, and workshops on each day of the conference, addressing diverse topics such as electric vehicle policies, advancements in pavement composition, and innovation in accessible transportation and mobility. ITS-Davis also hosted its annual evening reception, where nearly 400 colleagues and friends had a chance to enjoy good food, meet new people, and escape the chilly weather.

Policy staff, students, postdocs, researchers, and faculty from ITS-Davis other NCST-affiliated universities participated in high-level meetings with congressional offices. Meetings were held with the offices of Representatives Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Ami Bera (CA-06), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Doris Matsui (CA-07), John Garamendi (CA-08), and Senators Bernie Sanders (VT), and Adam Schiff (CA). These discussions provided an opportunity to share research highlights, learn about policymakers’ transportation priorities for the coming year, and to remind the offices that ITS-Davis and NCST are excellent resources for evidence-based policymaking.

We hope you enjoyed this look at ITS-Davis’ presence at TRB 2025!