UNM ITE wins Outstanding Student Chapter Award
April 9, 2026 - Carly Bowling
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Chapter at The University of New Mexico was awarded the ITE Mountain District Outstanding Student Chapter Award.
The recognition comes just a few years after the chapter’s membership was dwindling. Lisa Losada-Rojas, assistant professor in the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering and ITE faculty advisor, said the hiring of more transportation-oriented faculty members helped the student group build momentum with new graduate students and interest from undergraduates.
The ITE chapter is led by students Benson Long, Ana Lucaci and Adrianna Fragozo. The group hosted and attended a total of nearly thirty events in 2025, including four general meetings, four chapter showcase events, four conferences, two transportation research seminars, a Student Leadership Summit Day, three K-12 outreach events and more. The chapter helped organize the ITE Mountain District Annual Meeting in Santa Fe, where students met professionals from New Mexico Department of Transportation, conducted speed interviews, and went on a walking tour of Santa Fe.
Losada-Rojas also recognized the work of fellow chapter advisor Assistant Professor Carlos Rivera-Gonzalez and former faculty advisor Associate Professor Nick Ferenchak.
The group will be formally recognized at the ITE Mountain District Conference in June.
