American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Student Chapter at Penn State Altoona
Connecting with other engineering students and networking with industry professionals are key elements of the Rail Transportation Engineering (RTE) program at Penn State Altoona.
In 2012, RTE students established an AREMA student chapter. Chartered by the national organization of AREMA, this student-run group promotes the goals of exposing students to real-life railroad engineering applications, educating students through seminars and invited speakers, and facilitating connections among engineering students, railroad industry professionals, and Penn State alumni.
Field Trips
The AREMA student chapter at Penn State has sponsored various field trips, including visits to local railroad companies and suppliers. Students were recently invited for a tour of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor from Baltimore to New York City on one of Amtrak’s geometry cars. See photos on our Field Trips page.
Guest Speakers
Each semester the AREMA student chapter hosts several invited speakers to present on various railroad engineering topics. Some past AREMA speakers have included:
Joseph A. Smak – Amtrak, Director of Track Standards and Specifications and former President of AREMA
Ted Sussman and Hugh Thompson – U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration presented on “Railway Track Subgrade Performance - Impact and Diagnosis”
The AREMA Student chapter has had the privilege of hosting guest speakers from the following companies/organizations:
- AMTRAK
- BNSF Railway
- Conrail
- Norfolk Southern Corp.
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation – Railroad Division
- Railway Technical Research Institute (Tokyo, Japan)
- Sperry Rail Services
- Transportation Technology Center Inc.
- U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration
*Please contact us if you or someone from your company or organization is interested in presenting to the AREMA student chapter on a topic related to railroad engineering.
AREMA Annual Conference
Each year students from the RTE program travel to attend the AREMA Annual Conference. This is a great opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge and network with people in the railroad industry. Students attend technical presentations and seminars and visit the expo to stay up-to-date with the latest railroad engineering technology. Additionally, students can connect with alumni and other industry professionals as well as attend a railroad-specific job fair. Many students have found internships or full-time employment through connections they made at the AREMA conference.
Alumni raffle winners from the Penn State Alumni Reception at AREMA 2014
Members of the AREMA Student Chapter at the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN
Penn State Alumni Reception at the 2014 AREMA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL
