IRF Road Scholar Program
The Road Scholar Program identifies promising international students currently enrolled in graduate programs at IRF Member Universities in the United States. The Executive Fellows are recommended by their professors, and must demonstrate not only great educational accomplishments, but a strong desire to use their education in their home countries.
As Executive Fellows, these students are invited to participate in the Road Scholar Program, alongside IRF's current class of Traditional Fellows, which is designed to provide the Fellows with a better understanding of the process of doing business in the transportation industry in the United States, the importance of leadership, and the benefits and merits of the International Road Federation. The Road Scholar Program will allow IRF members to make contact with some future international leaders before they return to their home countries.
The Road Scholar helps the IRF's Educational Program accomplish its mission to apply current transportation technology and management techniques to improve infrastructures around the world. It allows IRF members an additional opportunity to make contact with future international leaders before they return to their home countries. And it ultimately expands the IRF's network of road-industry professional and public officials.
The IRF will begin accepting application for the 2012 Road Scholar Program on or about October 1, 2011.
2011 IRF Road Scholar Program Recap
The 2011 IRF Road Scholar Program welcomed 21 students from 16 countries. The annual 10-day IRF Road Scholar Program gathers international graduate students who have demonstrated significant educational accomplishments as well as a desire to use their education to improve their home countries.
Throughout the course of the 10-day Program, Fellows met with transportation industry leaders such as AASHTO Executive Director John C. Horsley and TRB Executive Director Bob Skinner, visited advanced research facilities, listened to high-level corporate presentations, attended leadership training activities, and participated in active-learning events.
A particular highlight for the Fellows was the visit to the US FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, where the Fellows were introduced to some of the state-of-the-art research being conducted at the facility.
An intense two days of meetings and executive leadership training provided the Fellows with knowledge, skills, insights, and advice on how to create the kind of career they want, how to be successful, and even how to enjoy life as a busy transportation professional.
Gilson Lomboy, a graduate student in civil, construction, and environmental engineering at Iowa State University, said the program is hectic but worth all the time and effort.
“The program is an excellent opportunity for students to learn and meet people that they may never have had the opportunity to,” Lomboy says.
The Dreznes Cup
While the Fellows did keep a demanding schedule, IRF did provide time in the schedule for some activities that allowed for the Fellows to get to know each other as well as take advantage of some of the tourist offerings of Washington, D.C.
Throughout the course of the Program, the Fellows were divided into four teams and competed for the first ever Dreznes Cup. The cup is named after IREF Chairman Mike Dreznes for his devotion to the fellowship program.
"I'm proud to have the cup named after me," said Dreznes. "I thoroughly enjoy spending time with these bright young professionals because not only do I learn so much from them but I am always amazed by their passion and knowledge. And I always come away with a great feeling that the future of our industry is in very capable hands."
The Dreznes Cup competition consisted the bridge building competition, where each team must construct a bridge out of edible materials, and IRFardy, a game created by Mike Dreznes in the style of the popular game show Jeopardy! In this round, each team was asked a series of questions about their fellow Fellows, facts and information they learned from IRF members, and about the IRF itself.
Dreznes Cup winning team
Thank You for Your Support
IRF would like to thank the following companies and organizations for participating in the 2011 IRF Road Scholar Program. Without the support and active involvement of each of these organizations, the Road Scholar Program would not be successful.
- AASHTO
- AECOM
- AgileAssets
- ARTBA
- Barrier Systems
- Deighton Associates
- I-95 Mega Project
- Institute of Transportation Engineers
- Korea Expressway Corporation
- The Louis Berger Group
- Northwestern University
- Parson Brinkerhoff
- TRB
- The World Bank
- Turner-Fairbanks Research Facility
- University of Texas
- U.S. Federal Highway Department
- Valley Slurry Seal