The Nebraska Transportation Center’s Discover Transportation Engineering camp recently welcomed 10 high school students from across Nebraska and one from out of state for an engaging, hands-on introduction to transportation engineering. Over three days, students explored real-world engineering challenges, connected with industry professionals, and gained insight into future career pathways.
The program began with an engineering tour at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where students were introduced to the wide range of engineering disciplines and toured campus labs and facilities. This was followed by a professional panel featuring representatives from the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), the City of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities, and WSP, giving students an overview of careers and current transportation projects.
Throughout the week, students engaged directly with industry partners. Olsson hosted students at their office, where teams competed in a bridge-building challenge focused on efficiency and strength. At JEO Consulting, students worked to redesign traffic flow around a real school project, applying real-world data and problem-solving techniques.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation provided an in-depth look at engineering in practice, giving students hands-on exposure to materials testing labs and leading a guided visit to an active construction site, where students observed a highway bridge being built.
Additional hands-on design experiences were led by HDR, where students reimagined Vine Street using Complete Streets concepts, and by Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU), where participants redesigned real-world intersections to improve safety and mobility.
Students also heard from Mr. Richard Luebbers, a retired engineer who shared his inspiring career journey from rural Nebraska to leading multi-billion-dollar projects, encouraging students to pursue their goals in engineering.
The program concluded with a field visit hosted by Benesch at the “Big X” intersection at North Antelope Valley Parkway and Salt Creek Roadway, where students explored a complex bridge structure spanning a railroad, bike path, and creek.
The success of this year’s Discover Transportation Engineering camp highlights the strength and collaboration of its industry partners—UNL College of Engineering, Panel, City of Lincoln, WSP, Olsson, JEO Consulting, Nebraska Department of Transportation, HDR, Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU), Richard Luebbers, and Benesch—who provided students with meaningful, real-world learning experiences.
With strong student engagement and overwhelmingly positive feedback, the Nebraska Transportation Center looks forward to building on this success and continuing to inspire the next generation of transportation engineers in future programs.
