After an exciting week at TRB, we gathered our attendees ’round the “dinner table” and asked for their #1 highlight from the conference. No teeth pulling necessary – the enthusiasm was overflowing!
From groundbreaking research to inspiring keynotes and game-changing pavement management innovations, each team member shared something that left a lasting impression:
Chase Fleeman: “It was exciting to see the buzz Mostafa generated during his poster session. The strong interest from dozens of industry leaders in his findings and approach highlights that ICC is not standing still—we are driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of our industry.”
Sam Skog: “The highlight of TRB for me was connecting with colleagues and industry professionals face to face. Remote work can make it tough to build meaningful relationships, but TRB creates a space where collaboration and networking come naturally. Spending time with peers and sharing ideas is a powerful reminder of how valuable in-person meetings are for driving progress and growth in transportation.”
Danilo Balzarini, PhD – “My number one highlight of the TRB Conference was meeting in person with professional contacts, many of whom I have worked with remotely. These in-person meetings provided fresh perspectives, sparked passionate discussions about our industry, and offered insights into the innovations needed for the future.”
Michael Nieminen, PE, P.Eng – “Highlights for me included discussing ideas for new industry standards with colleagues and even competitors and seeing the energy for advancing pavement data collection practice. I was especially excited about the positive reaction to the new proposed international standard crack map and the numerous offers to collaborate on the new standard.”
Mostafa Nakhaei, PhD – “The highlight of the TRB for me was seeing the immense interest in structural testing like TSDD. I was surprised by the large number of attendees focused on structural testing, which clearly indicates a strong desire among agencies to move beyond surface scanning and adopt a more holistic approach to evaluating pavement integrity. This is a step in the right direction, addressing challenges that pavement engineers have long faced due to technological limitation.”
What was your top highlight from TRB 2025? Drop it in the comments – we’d love to hear!