Railroad Engineering Education Symposium

June 14-16, 2010 - Overland Park, KS

The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) is the railway industry’s professional organization that, among its other goals, promotes railway engineering education. In response to this challenge, AREMA’s Education and Training Committee developed the Railway Engineering Education Symposium (REES). REES is intended to foster interest among university faculty in railway engineering with the goal of encouraging and supporting their interest in adding railway engineering content to their current engineering courses and curricula. The inaugural REES was held in June 2008, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, Illinois.

REES 2010 was held June 14-16 in Overland Park, KS at the Johnson County Community College (JCCC). The Symposium was organized by the Education and Training Committee (Committee 24) of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) and is operated under the auspices of the AREMA Educational Foundation. A special thanks and recognition is due to the Rail Transportation Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) who collaborated on all of the education curriculum content.

The event was attended by 26 University Faculty from the following institutions:

Bucknell University Iowa State University Jackson State University in Mississippi Kansas State University Kansas State University McGill University Mississippi State Oregon State University Portland State University Rutgers University Southern Illinois University Edwardsville University of Michigan University of Alberta

University of Hartford University of IL at Chicago University of Manitoba University of Missouri, Columbia University of South Carolina University of Texas at Arlington University of Texas at Arlington University of Utah University of Wisconsin-Plattesville Valparaiso University Villanova University Virginia Technological University

The Symposium included two days of discussion on railway engineering materials, current and future railway research and on the final day provided a site visit to the BNSF Argentine Yard High Tower and JCCC Track Walk, Locomotive Simulator and Training Facilities.

The Symposium included:

Overview of the North American railway industry.
Discussion of the increased demand for railway transportation and resulting need for engineers to enter in careers in the railway industry.
Understanding of the importance of railway education in engineering curricula.
Railway engineering course presentation material including PowerPoint presentations, homework and exam questions.
A roundtable discussion of current North American railway engineering course offerings and research projects.
Group discussions on railway research funding and publication possibilities.
Contact information and resources within the railway industry and within the railway engineering academic community.
Opportunity to visit the railway education facilities and simulators at JCCC and portions of BNSF Railway’s terminal facilities in Kansas City.

The Railroad Engineering Education Symposium (REES) was organized by the following individuals, groups and organizations:

American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association

Charles H. Emely, PhD - Executive Director
Michael Pochop, P.E. - REES 2010 Project Manager
Gray Chandler – REES 2010 Fundraising Lead
Tyler Dick, P.E. – REES 2010 Program Lead
Arthur Charrow, P.E. – REES 2010 Facility Lead
Dallas Richards, P.E. - Chairman, AREMA Committee 24 - Education & Training

REES Academic Advisory & Planning Committee

Riley Edwards - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – REES 2010 Academic Lead
Christopher Barkan, PhD - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
David Clarke, PhD, P.E. - University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Pasi Lautala, PhD, P.E. - Michigan Technological University
Hesham Mahgoub, PhD, P.E. - South Dakota State University
Jerry Rose, PhD, P.E. - University of Kentucky
William Sproule, PhD, P.E. - Michigan Technological University

American Society of Civil Engineers Transportation and Development Institute

Rail Transportation Committee

Facility Provided Courtesy of BNSF Railway

REES 2010 would not have been possible without the extraordinary support of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the companies and individuals who so generously provided the sponsorship for this Symposium.