This week, Eno said goodbye to Steven Parks, our 2024 Thomas J. O’Bryant Fellow. Before he left, we sat down with him to talk about his experiences and what’s next.

What was the most valuable thing you learned during the fellowship?

The most valuable thing I learned is that people in the federal government, especially in DC, are working hard to make our transportation systems better. Looking on from the outside and listening to the news, it’s easy to get sucked into the hate and vitriol, but people are working very hard. That is very validating and very comforting. People from all sides recognize that having accessible, efficient transportation systems are important. The disagreement arises from how to do that. It’s cool to see the work of those people in real time.

How will your experience at Eno inform your work moving forward?

I think this fellowship has made me more comfortable doing qualitative research. I’m an engineer, and I have a bachelor’s, and master’s in engineering. . I have a lot of experience with the quantitative and mathematical aspects of projects, but less the qualitative side. Seeing the insights from qualitative sources has helped me realize in my own research how I can incorporate these aspects into my work. Obviously, my research will still be quantitative based, but this will hopefully let me add qualitative information that makes the work more impactful.

Has your work connected with your studies? If so, how?

Most of my work at Eno has looked at federal level policy. High-level policy levers don’t directly relate to the local nature of my current research on assisting delivery vehicles routes in cities. However, this fellowship has helped me recognize the interconnectedness of transportation. Though my research looks at a specific travel mode in specific contexts, it’s important to understand how it affects mobility in cities as a whole. What’s the impact of my work on retail demand? On transportation demand? How does it impact transportation safety? Everything in transportation is connected.

What’s next for you?

I’m going back to MIT and continuing my thesis work. I’m a fifth year PhD student and I’m focused on my dissertation and conducting good research. I’m still figuring out what I want to do after my PhD. I still want to do mathematical and scientific research, but I want to connect that research to applications, like working with public agencies and elected officials.

What advice would you give to future Thomas J. O’Bryant fellows?

Take advantage of all of the connections Eno has. Something I kept hearing during my fellowship and LDC is that transportation is a small world, and it’s even smaller in DC. Eno knows so many actors in the DC area and across the country. So try to take advantage of those connections, ask to schedule an informational interview or ask them to coffee. See how it could benefit you and how you think about the rest of your career!