Photo Courtesy by Henry Tang
During the weekend of January 31–February 2, the UCLA Student Chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) hosted the 2025 ITE Western District Student Leadership Summit (SLS) at UCLA, which was a year-long effort in planning, coordination, and execution. The summit brought together more than 300 students and professionals from universities across the U.S. West Coast and Canada, providing a platform for leadership development, industry engagement, and technical learning. It created opportunities for students to connect with professionals, learn from experts, and explore career pathways in transportation engineering and planning.
The summit began with technical field trips to key transportation agencies and projects, including LA Metro’s D-Line Subway Extension, Beverly Hills Department of Public Works, LADOT’s Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control Center (ATSAC), and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Depot. In the evening, attendees gathered for ITE’s 10th Annual Student-Professional Mixer, fostering industry connections over a shared meal.
Day two featured an energizing welcome ceremony, followed by engaging technical presentations on expanding rail transit, mobility justice, emergency traffic operations, and urban redevelopment. Workshops such as Reimagining Westwood Boulevard provided students with hands-on learning experiences in active transportation planning. Students also participated in a career fair, networking with over 20 top firms and agencies to explore job and internship opportunities. The day concluded with a banquet dinner featuring a keynote speech from Tina Backstrom, Senior Director of Transportation for the LA Mayor’s Office, who shared insights on the city’s mobility vision and leadership in transportation.
The final day of SLS brought the excitement of the Traffic Bowl competition, where teams from different universities tested their transportation knowledge. A closing ceremony and networking lunch wrapped up the summit, reinforcing the importance of leadership and collaboration in shaping the future of transportation. Through strategic planning, industry engagement, and hands-on learning opportunities, SLS 2025 at UCLA provided attendees with invaluable experiences that will guide them in their academic and professional journeys.