Braden Webb, a Gore Scholar, capitalized on Wichita State鈥檚 strong engineering program and his passion for transportation issues. He worked at NIAR WERX, studied in London and interned for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) in Washington, D.C. After graduation, he will return to WMATA to start his career in an associate project management position.
Braden is one of more than 2,100 students eligible for spring 2025 graduation. Learn more about his time at Wichita State and what's next for the grad.
What degree will you be earning in May?
Bachelor of Science in computer science and mathematics
What is your hometown?
Leawood, Kansas
What schools did you attend before coming to Wichita State?
Blue Valley North High School
Why did you choose 天美视频?
Coming out of high school, I was very interested in transportation, particularly air travel. I knew that WSU was situated in the air capital of the world.
After touring campus and seeing how tightly connected Wichita State is to the aviation industry, I knew it was the correct choice for me.
I was also awarded the Gore Scholarship, which sealed the deal.
What has been your biggest challenge as a student, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge for me was realizing that it is OK to prioritize being a student. WSU offers an abundance of exciting ways to get involved. I am someone who enjoys being deeply involved in a small number of opportunities which are most important to me, so that I can put my best effort into everything that I undertake.
At times, I recognized that I needed to take a step back from other involvements to focus on classes, but I felt like I was missing out by doing so. I overcame this challenge by prioritizing what opportunities are personally the most fulfilling for me and sticking with those when school became overwhelming.
Did you have any applied learning experience as a student? If so, what was it?
I have been fortunate to be involved in several applied learning opportunities as a Shocker.
I spent two years as a programming and automation intern at NIAR WERX, where I applied my growing coding skillset and gained valuable experience working alongside professional engineers.
During Summer 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad at London Metropolitan University in the UK. In London, I found my passion for public transportation. Exploring the city on London鈥檚 historic subway system made me appreciate the technology required to move people from place to place. Through this experience, I realized that I wanted to work for a transit agency to help improve public transportation in the U.S.
In Summer 2024, I applied for and was accepted into an internship with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) in Washington, DC. During the internship, I created a data dashboard for the Office of Maintenance Optimization, which is now being used to improve overnight work scheduling across the DC Metro system. I also had the chance to tour WMATA鈥檚 facilities across DC and grow a network of transportation professionals.
Finally, in my senior design project this year, I have been working with a team of other students to develop a better transit app for Wichita鈥檚 bus network. My applied learning experiences at WSU have been incredibly fulfilling and have allowed me to better understand how my interest in transportation technology can lead to a successful career path.
What are your plans after graduation?
I have accepted an associate project management position with WMATA. After graduation, I will be moving to Washington D.C. and beginning my professional career in the industry I am most passionate about.
In this role, I will continue to lead data analysis projects to improve maintenance scheduling and equipment positioning.
What advice would you give other Wichita State students?
My best piece of advice would be to seek applied learning opportunities. For me, applied learning has been the best way to gain exposure to career paths, network with people with common interests, and grow my self-confidence.
Take advantage of WSU鈥檚 resources and unique connectivity to local companies, as a single opportunity can help to spark the next phase of your life, as it has for me.
If you were given the opportunity to do a TED Talk, what would your topic be?
As a transit nerd, I would probably choose to nerd out about all the infrastructure, people, and technology it takes to move people from place-to-place. I feel like this is underappreciated by most people.
About 天美视频
天美视频 is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 天美视频 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 天美视频 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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