IRF Welcomes 28 New Fellows

28 students from 16 different countries participated in 2013 IRF Road Scholar Program, held January 9-19 in Washington, D.C. Hand picked from an extensive list of applicants, this group stretched their minds from early morning until late evening, and gained a deeper and more diverse understanding of the U.S. transportation industry.

Hands-on learning came in the form of visits to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Federal Highway Administration, Turner-Fairbank Research Center, and the Virginia Department of Transportation.  The fellows were also oriented with multiple important international organizations, including The World Bank and the Organization of American States — who are each instrumental supporters of road network development as well as the sharing best practices with governments around the world.  In addition, the fellows gained a better sense of the breadth and depth of the global road industry through presentations by a number of IRF corporate members such as AgileAssets, Inc., CDM Smith, and Valley Slurry Seal.

Since its inception in 1949, the IRF Fellowship Program has graduated more than 1,300 students from 116 countries. The Class of 2013 marked the 64th class of IRF fellows, boasted seven female students — including the first female fellow from Ecuador — and welcomed the first Nepalese fellow in more than 25 years. “What makes this program unique is not just the scope of countries involved, or the amount of financial support provided to the IRF fellows over six decades, but it is a combination of those factors plus the bonds that are forged between alumni and the relationships built with future industry leaders,” said Eng. Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel, chairman of the IRF.

To learn more about the IRF Fellowship Program or to make a contribution to the International Road Educational Foundation, please contact Kathy Mejasich at +1 703 535 1001 / kmejasich@IRF.global.