November 2015: The Railway Academic Conference (TRAC) will be held at UIUC on July 12 – 14, 2016 to build on synergy between the AREMA Railway Engineering Education Symposium (REES) event and National University Rail (NURail) Center education and workforce development initiatives. TRAC will be a three-day event, with REES activities and the NURail Annual Meeting each comprising half of the program. Building on similar goals and objectives, TRAC will further inform educators, industry professionals, and students about current developments in railroad engineering education, workforce development and outreach programs. Through the REES component, TRAC will facilitate sharing of education materials designed to introduce students to railway infrastructure, operations, engineering, and design concepts. By combining these activities, TRAC aims to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry to meet the challenge of developing the next generation of railroad professionals.