Welcome to the website for the Nebraska Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (NITE).
NITE is an organization comprised of professionals in many areas of transportation including but not limited to: traffic engineering, roadway design, transportation planning, public transit, active transportation, safety, intelligent transportation systems, and technology. The chapter hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year, which are described below.
Professional Development – NITE offers members regular opportunities to expand their professional knowledge across a wide variety of topics. These opportunities are provided in several different formats to accommodate members’ needs and schedules, such as lunch meetings, one-day technical conferences, and hour-long webinars. The meetings also provide the opportunity for members to gather and discuss current and relevant topics with other members.
Networking Opportunities – Membership in NITE is a great way to network with your fellow professionals. Not only do members have the opportunity to network with other transportation professionals via NITE events, but NITE sponsors joint meetings with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Nebraska Society of Professional Engineers (NeSPE), which provide expanded networking resources for its members. In addition, NITE sponsors non-technical events such as golf-outings, donut meetings, or mini-golf outings to network with members in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
Safe Driving Campaign – In 2007, MOVITE challenged LOCATE (now known as NITE) and the other local chapters in the section to “make a difference” in their regions. From this challenge, a safe-driving campaign for teens, since renamed “DriveSmart,” was developed. To date, the campaign has been presented to over 10,000 high school students in the NITE area. The program is coordinated and run entirely by volunteers within the NITE Section. The program is designed not only to highlight the dangers of drunk and distracted driving, but also to promote the role of engineers in designing and building a safe transportation system, and encourage students to consider a career in engineering. Learn more about DriveSmart here.
Student Outreach and Academic Support – The NITE Section works closely with the ITE Student Chapter at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. NITE holds an annual event, dubbed the “Meet & Greet,” through which NITE coordinates a mini career fair that connects members’ firms with students working to obtain a degree in transportation engineering. This event provides an opportunity for NITE members to recruit potential new employees, provides students an opportunity to talk directly with practicing engineers and learn more about employment opportunities in the NITE area. The event also raises money for the Dr. Pat McCoy Fund For Engineering Excellence, which is an endowed fund that provides scholarships for students in transportation engineering.