USC ITE team takes first place at regional transportation competition - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering

USC ITE Co-Captains Mila Mattson and Emerson Sonoda at the ITE Southern California Section and Orange County Traffic Engineering Council’s 2026 Student Presentation Night (Photo/Eric Shen)

The USC chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers earned first place at the ITE Southern California Section and Orange County Traffic Engineering Council’s 2026 Student Presentation Night, held April 30 at the Knott’s Hotel in Buena Park.

For team co-captain Mila Mattson, a sophomore majoring in industrial and systems engineering in the USC Viterbi Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the moment marked the culmination of months of work.

“It was incredibly rewarding to see all of our work come together,” Mattson said. “As an industrial and systems engineering student, getting to apply what I’ve learned to a real-world problem like this — and then be recognized for it — meant a lot to me and our team.”

Added Maged Dessouky, Tryon Chair in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Spatial Sciences Institute: “I’m so happy for Mila and the entire team. We’re really proud of them.”