The Intelligent Transportation Society of America and Institute of Transportation Engineers University of Maryland Student Chapter (ITS-ITE UMD Student Chapter) is a part of the Maryland ITS Chapter, which is a part of ITS America. ITS-ITE UMD Student Chapter at University of Maryland is the only student chapter of ITSMD, and now has grown to be one of the biggest student chapters in the DC area. This chapter was initiated with the efforts of a group of graduate students in the Transportation Engineering Program and with the support of the transportation group faculty at University of Maryland (UMD), with the aim of activating the potentials of Transportation Engineering students and serving as a bridge between students and professionals working outside the academic world.
The chapter operates with a board consisting of graduate students elected at the beginning of each academic year by faculty and students of Transportation Engineering Program at UMD, and it involves all the students and faculty in the transportation department throughout the year in a variety of activities. ITS-ITE UMD Student Chapter is now sponsored by The Maryland Transportation Institute (MTI) for its main activities. These activities include holding seminars with guest speakers from academic and non-academic organizations around the world, social events such as beginning and end of the semester parties/picnics, sports events, and informal student gatherings. Activities of the student chapter involve students and help to build a warm and friendly environment among students and faculty of transportation group, as well as build many links between students of UMD and transportation professionals and academicians from all around the world. ITS-ITE UMD Student Chapter is a main force in shaping the big transportation family of UMD.