A new student organization is taking shape in the College of Engineering
for those interested in transportation engineering and planning.
Erik Stellato and Sebastiano Villano, civil engineering undergraduates at
Drexel, are founding a student chapter of the Institute of Transportation
Engineers (ITE). They are working closely with Zhiwei Chen, PhD, assistant
professor in of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, who
will serve as the group's faculty advisor.
The goal is to create a welcoming community where Drexel students can
connect with professionals and peers to learn more about transportation
engineering, according to Stellato, the group's president.
"Our mission is to create a collaborative network of student transportation
engineers and professionals, prepared to excel, innovate and lead in the
industry," he said.
While the chapter’s founders are civil engineers, there is something for
every engineering major in the group.
“Transportation is vast and offers opportunities for students in all majors
to learn,” Stellato explained. “We all use different methods of
transportation daily, and this is truly an impactful and growing field that
many students can get involved in, and even have a thriving career. We are
more than happy to help students connect their major with the field in any
way that we can.
Planned activities include site visits, guest speakers, career-building
workshops, competitions against other schools' ITE chapters, and more. An
upcoming initiative is a mentorship program that pairs students with
working transportation professionals.
Having Chen as advisor is a huge advantage, Villano said. "It is a
priceless opportunity to work with someone so renowned as him and to be
able to learn from him," he explained. "We just met this fall, and he is
already a true mentor to us."
Interested Drexel students can reach out via the group's Instagram page,
@Drexel.ITE. Stellato and Villano are currently engaging with students and
other organizations there.
"We have very ambitious plans, but we are ready to become a very impactful
organization that will continue to grow and innovate each year," Stellato
said.
Want to learn more about how you can become a transportation engineer? Check out our civil engineering program.