TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CONFERENCE COMES
TO NORFOLK
The 67th International Meeting of the Transportation Research
Forum, held on April 16–17, 2026, at Old Dominion University
main campus, brought together transportation academic
researchers, practitioners, and industry professionals to exchange
ideas on some of the most pressing issues in transportation.
Founded in 1958, the Transportation Research Forum (TRF)
continues to serve as an important platform for discussion
through the presentation of research papers, as well as poster
sessions, and industry panels.
The conference
featured two industry
panels. The first one
was about “The future
of the maritime
initiatives in Hampton
Roads.” This panel
examined in detail how, as a region, we can
capitalize on the goals
and directives laid out
in the Maritime Action
Plan. The panelists
were: David White,
Virginia Maritime
Association; John
Polowczyk, Virginia
Ship Repair
Association; Drew Lumpkin, Hampton Roads Executive
Roundtable and Whitney Lester, Hampton Roads Workforce
Council.
The second panel looked at “The future of AI in supply chain and
logistics” with Kevin Speers, Splice; Katie Smith, Engineering
Technology, ODU; Wael Khalouli, ODU; and Rafael Diaz,
Supply Chain, ODU. The discussion ranged from practical
roadmaps for deploying AI agents to strategies for preparing and
training the workforce for AI adoption.
Furthermore, every year a committee of TRF past presidents
evaluate nominees based on their contributions to the
transportation industry for the President’s Award. This award
recognizes an individual in transportation who has exhibited
leadership and innovation on a regional or national scale that has
resulted in improving freight mobility or advancing a forward-looking vision for the industry. This year, Ricardo Ungo, past
President of TRF, presented the President’s Awards to David
White, Executive Director of the Virginia Maritime Association,
in recognition of his significant contributions to the maritime
industry in the region. (See picture)
Following the award presentation, David White also delivered
a keynote address on Hampton Roads as America’s Maritime
Center of Gravity.
The conference also provided experiential learning opportunities
for students from the ODU School of Supply Chain, Logistics
and Maritime Operations. Four ODU student posters were
accepted and the poster presented by Nika Vrbinc was recognized
as the best student poster at the conference. Additionally, the
undergraduate student Nico Roghair co-presented a research
paper.
Overall, the 2026 Transportation Research Forum conference
reinforced the organization’s mission to advance transportation
knowledge and practice. By convening a diverse group of
stakeholders in Norfolk, the event contributed to ongoing
efforts to address critical transportation challenges and to shape
the future of industry in a rapidly changing world.
Published in the May 2026 Virginia Maritime Bulletin