Executive Director of the Center for International Trade and Transportation (CITT) and METRANS Associate Director Thomas O’Brien was recently named Vice President of the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC). He was officially presented with the title during his attendance at the 2018 CUTC Summer Meeting in Minneapolis.

As vice president, O’Brien has the responsibility of coordinating the Committee’s activities surrounding the planning of the CUTC annual banquet. The current president of CUTC is Dr. Karen Philbrick, Executive Director and Director of Research at San Jose State University, Mineta Transportation Institute.

“I look forward to serving a group whose sole purpose is raising the profile of transportation research, education and training, and supporting the students in our programs,” said O’Brien. “In particular, I look forward to contributing to the annual CUTC banquet honoring transportation leaders and showcasing the best and brightest students our nation has to offer.”

O’Brien also represented METRANS at the 2018 CUTC Summer Meeting as a presenter. He was part of a Workforce Development roundtable addressing career pathways for future transportation professionals. His presentation focused on effective employee retention and retraining programs, specifically discussing how the University Transportation Center (UTC) supports employers.

METRANS Director Gen Giuliano also served as a panelist for a discussion titled, “How to Develop and Maintain Working Partnerships.” She shared METRANS’ strategies for cultivating relationships with other organizations and facilitating joint activities. Along with panelists from LA Metro, Johns Hopkins University, and the Texas Transportation Institute, Giuliano gave her thoughts on what makes a good partnership, how to choose a partner, and what to do in order to make the relationship work.

CUTC was established in 1979 by the major transportation research centers and institutes in the United States and provides a forum for UTCs to interact collectively with government and industry. The Council’s mission is to promote university research, education, workforce development, and technology transfer as essential to the nation’s transportation system. Through these efforts, CUTC aspires to raise the profile of university research and education so that UTCs are recognized and called upon to produce knowledge, innovative research, and education to have the best transportation system in the world.