By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., Research Coordinator
A dedicated group of civil engineering students has revived UF’s WTS Advancing Women in Transportation student chapter. The chapter will offer various opportunities for students who join, such as connecting with representatives from the transportation industry, building professional networks, field trips, career-building activities, transportation-related symposia, and seminars.
After the WTS Gator student chapter became inactive during the pandemic, Amanda Woods, director of Transportation and senior vice president at DRMP, Inc., who is also the WTS Central Florida chapter’s director of advancement, alongside Fatema Hoque Farzana of HNTB, Stacey Russell of GPI, and Jarrell Smith of VHB, reached out to the chapter’s former adviser, Ines Aviles-Spadoni, a research coordinator at the University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI). The conversations took place over the summer of 2024 and focused on reviving UF’s WTS Gator student chapter.
“Once I contacted Ines, she immediately reached out to students to gauge interest in reviving the WTS Gator student chapter.” Woods said. “I was impressed with how quickly the students took action to begin setting up the chapter and planning for a Fall 2024 launch. The WTS chapter will provide students a well-rounded experience that not only enhances their resume but also equips them with the skills and connections necessary for a successful career. I look forward to working with the UF Gator student chapter over the coming years and am excited to see what they can accomplish.”
Aviles-Spadoni reach out to undergraduate civil engineering students Sara Garces, Eliana Duarte, Kayla Eusebio, and Ayame Soejima, who expressed interest in WTS and were enthusiastic about the challenge. However, there were some hurdles in re-establishing the chapter, and without previous experience or records from the chapter’s previous executive boards (e-boards), the students indeed confronted the daunting task of starting from scratch.
“One of the biggest challenges of re-establishing the chapter was that we had no experience or guidelines,” said Garces, the chapter’s president. “It has been years since the chapter was active. All previous members with leadership roles graduated, so we had to start from zero. We had to create a constitution, recruit members, establish connections with industry professionals, and plan out events, all with no real knowledge of how the chapter had done it in the past.”
The chapter’s first General Body Meeting (GBM) was held on September 17, 2024, and it was a resounding success, with 21 students attending. The students attribute this success to Dr. Pruthvi Manjunatha, a research faculty member at the UFT. Manjunatha supported the chapter by encouraging students in his class to attend and join the newly resurrected chapter.
“I believe we owe a majority of our first meeting’s success to UF faculty and staff who helped us advertise and incentivize attendance to our meeting,” said Eusebio, the chapter’s vice president. “Dr. Pruthvi Manjunatha, especially, gave us a great avenue to advertise to undergraduates who may not have been aware of the many benefits of being involved in WTS.”
Building on the success of the first GBM, the e-board is reviewing feedback forms collected from attendees during the GBM. The chapter will use this information to tailor their programming to their members’ needs.
Weeks before the first GBM, Garces and her e-board met with Aviles-Spadoni for a strategic planning session to discuss their goals, measurable objectives, strategies, and tactics for the year. As a result, the chapter plans to invite industry speakers and organize research symposiums on current trends in transportation, company site visits, resume workshops, mock interviews, and social events to foster unity and connections amongst the WTS Gator student chapter members.
“We are planning a variety of events for the upcoming year to introduce members to different fields within transportation and promote professional development,” said Duarte, the chapter’s secretary. “We are excited to host GBMs with industry speakers and research symposiums on hot topics in transportation. We are also planning site visits to different transportation companies so that members can get an idea of what a career in transportation actually looks like.”
Rebecca Peche, a civil engineering student who serves as the social media chair, manages the student chapter’s active Instagram account. She posts activities, events, and GBMs, which help build momentum, keep students engaged, and expand the chapter’s visibility within the UF student community.
“I’ve had a lot of fun so far promoting these different events and, hopefully, this will help more students understand the transportation industry and potentially start the path to their future careers,” Peche said. “Being able to help grow a club that can really make a difference in student’s lives has been amazing. There will be a bunch of different events which will push students to connect with a variety of companies within the transportation field.”
She added that while the transportation industry is small, it’s an important aspect of everyone’s daily lives. Peche also emphasized the importance of raising awareness through the WTS Gator student chapter about the various career opportunities available within the field of transportation.
The WTS Gator student chapter was created at UF in 2009. It was one of the first chapters in Florida to be ratified as a student chapter by WTS International in 2014. Throughout the years, the student chapter successfully hosted a wide range of events, including symposiums featuring expert panelists. The WTS Gator student chapter is open to everyone, regardless of gender, academic background, or experience.
On its website, WTS International, the professional organization, highlights men’s vital role as allies in advancing women in transportation. By encouraging men to support women’s professional growth, WTS promotes gender equity in training, development, and compensation. It’s a great way to ensure a more inclusive and balanced workforce within the transportation industry while advancing the profession.
Soejima, the student chapter’s treasurer, echoes WTS International’s stance on the value of male students joining the WTS Gator student chapter.
“I was excited to find out there were a lot more people interested in joining than I was expected, as well as a lot more men that were willing to join as well, which I thought was a very good thing to broaden our audience,” she said.
This inclusivity often extends to partnerships with other student chapters at UF, such as GatorITE, which is primarily male. These chapters are already collaborating on events such as industry speakers, seminars, and other events.
Moving forward, the WTS Gator student chapter at UF plans to keep students returning to its meetings by offering professional development opportunities, connections with industry representatives, and food, refreshments, and social gatherings for members. The future certainly looks bright for Garces and her dynamic, trailblazing team as they chart the course for a successful year.
“From the beginning, all of us involved were excited to revive the chapter,” Garces said. “We are extremely committed to this endeavor and determined to make it a successful chapter.”
For more information about how to join the chapter, contact Sara Garces at saragarces@ufl.edu.