Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering Hosts Its 15th Transportation Forum
The University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering convened approximately 170 leaders from across the transportation sector for the 2026 Transportation Forum: “Advancing Research Innovation in Transportation.”
Held on March 19 at the O’Hara Student Center Ballroom, the forum was organized by the Swanson School’s Impactful Resilient Infrastructure Science and Engineering (IRISE) consortium and the Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (CSTI), in cooperation with the Pittsburgh chapters of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) and Women in Transportation (WTS). Now in its 15th year, the event connected academic and transportation leaders to share ideas and solve problems.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll delivered the keynote address, “Future Transportation Outlook,” exploring opportunities and challenges in advancing transportation infrastructure statewide. Carroll’s visit to Pitt was his third in the last four years, twice to attend the Transportation Forum and once for the IRISE Annual Meeting. His engagement with the University highlights the strong partnership between PennDOT and the Swanson School.
This year’s forum drew participation from across Pennsylvania, including 112 attendees from private-sector engineering firms, 40 from public-sector organizations, and 20 from academia. Throughout the day, attendees explored how cutting‑edge research, tools, and approaches can create safer, more resilient, and more sustainable transportation systems.
Faculty and graduate students from the Swanson School presented on topics such as “High-Performance and Light-Weight Metamaterial Concrete” and “Structural Optimization of Bridge Decks Against Corrosion,” complemented by a student poster session highlighting emerging research. The forum also brought together leaders from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission for a joint panel discussion, creating space for open dialogue around shared challenges, active projects, and collaborative approaches to advancing transportation innovation.
“As this forum enters its fifteenth year, the growing engagement and the energy around innovative research reflects Pittsburgh’s increasing role as a regional and national leader in transportation,” said Joseph Szczur, research faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of IRISE and CSTI. “I’m excited to see how the exchange of ideas at the forum manifests into real-world solutions.”
Now a premier regional event for civil engineers, public agencies, and academic partners, the Transportation Forum represents the Swanson School’s commitment to bridging research and practice to improve the region and the state.