USC ITE Takes First Place at the 2026 SoCal/OCTEC Student Presentation Night

On Thursday, April 30, 2026, six ITE student chapters—Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State University (CSU) Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, UCI, UCLA, and USC—along with transportation practitioners, gathered at the Knott’s Hotel for the annual Student Presentation Night. The event was hosted by the Southern California Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (SoCal ITE) and the Orange County Traffic Engineering Council (OCTEC).

A central component of the evening was the opportunity for each ITE student chapter to present a technical project developed over the academic year. During the program, students, professionals, and judges listened to presentations showcasing research and solutions to improve transportation systems. Beyond providing a platform for the exchange of ideas between presenters and the audience, the event also served as an important source of funding for chapter operations, including conference participation.

The presentations showcased strong work across core areas of transportation engineering. CSU Fullerton and Cal Poly Pomona focused on redesigning freeway interchanges to improve efficiency and safety, while UCLA proposed a crosswalk design to enhance pedestrian safety on campus. In addition to improving existing systems, other projects looked ahead to future challenges. UCI analyzed the site selection for electric freight charging infrastructure as demand for sustainable logistics continues to grow. CSU Long Beach presented a proposal to bring a Formula One race to Laguna Beach.

Building on this forward-looking approach, USC students Emerson Sonoda and Mila Mattson presented the chapter’s technical project on modeling spectator movement during the 2028 Olympic Games. The project focused on the three venues in the USC backyard—Galen Center, BMO Stadium, and LA Memorial Coliseum. Using agent-based modeling, the research team evaluated capacity constraints on the Metro E Line and translated complex simulation findings into accessible insights that effectively engaged the audience and judges. With the Summer Olympics fast approaching, the team’s customizable model offers a scalable solution to support the LA 28 Committee in developing transportation strategies for one of the world’s largest events.

In recognition of this work, our presentation, Modeling Pedestrian Movement at LA 28, earned first place among all competing chapters, marking a proud milestone for the USC ITE Chapter since its founding in 2011.

Winning first place made me reflect on what set our presentation apart. From my perspective as a contributor on the research team, it wasn’t just the topic, but the perspective behind it. This project sits at the intersection of urban mobility, systems engineering, and event planning. This interdisciplinary approach reflects the curiosity and initiative fostered by the chapter’s diversity.

Rui, a sophomore studying Urban Studies and Planning, shared a similar takeaway from the presentation: “Watching our presenters deliver rigorous work in a way that captured meaningful attention, I learned something valuable to carry forward: doing good work and knowing how to showcase it effectively go hand in hand.” This was not only what we learned from observing upperclassmen, but also a mindset that Rui and I will carry forward as we step into the role of technical project managers next year.

Although Rui and I come from different academic backgrounds—Rui from the Price School of Public Policy, and I from the Viterbi School of Engineering—we were both able to find our place within the USC ITE chapter as first-year members. For Rui, weekly research team meetings were where she first began to feel a sense of belonging, while she also noted that staying committed to the project helped her become more connected.

The sense of belonging extends beyond the chapter and into the broader ITE community. This was only my second ITE chapter event—the first being SLS at UCI earlier this year—but it already felt like a reunion. Many of the faces in the room were familiar; instead, we had already seen each other across multiple settings: first at a mixer, then during workshops and presentations at SLS, and now competing against them at the presentation night. What stood out to me was that these connections extend beyond one-time interactions. A shared passion for transportation brings this network of students and professionals together multiple times a year, allowing connections to grow as we continue to show up for one another.

With that in mind, Rui and I are looking forward to presenting our technical project at next year’s ITE SoCal/OCTEC Student Presentation Night!