Johann Cardenas

June in Arizona was a bold choice for a conference. On paper, it was a new state to explore, maybe new food to try, and a totally different landscape from what we were used to. But then I arrived on Sunday morning, stepped outside, and the air hit me like a furnace. It was dry heat, sure, but still, it was heat. The temperature that day was 110°F (43°C). If you turn on the news, they will be covering some heatwave warning somewhere in the state, or rescue operations for people stranded in the desert. If you've never been to Arizona in the summer, it is really hot. Really, really hot. The conference was still great, smart talks, good energy, tasty snacks, and the chance to catch up with colleagues. Would I recommend hosting a conference in Arizona in June? Absolutely not. I spend most of my time indoors, in air conditioning and only ventured outside for dinner plans. It was smart choice to stay at the conference hotel though, it was connected to the conference halls, there were on-site dining options, and I could retreat to my room quickly if needed. The hotel also had a swimming pool where I could cool off after a long day of sessions.

Delivering presentations is one of those skills that quietly compounds. Over time, the podium becomes less intimidating, and the audience more familiar. By the time of ICTD 2025, I had delivered multiple presentations on this project, including at TRB 2024 and various internal meetings at ICT. So, standing in front of the audience felt comfortable. In this presentation, I discussed the methodology we used to quantify pavement damage from heavy-duty electric trucks, highlighting the differences in loading patterns compared to conventional trucks. I also presented preliminary findings on how these differences could impact pavement performance and maintenance strategies. The session was well-attended, and I received several insightful questions from the audience. It was rewarding to see the interest in our research and to engage in discussions. The weird magic is that the confidence in presenting, does not come from feeling fully prepared, but rather from having done it enough times to know that you can handle whatever comes your way.

As it is now customary at these conferences, we took the opportunity to gather the Al-Qadi Research Group for a group photo. It is always a pleasure to see everyone together, celebrating our collective achievements and the hard work that goes into our research. Not all of us were there, but those who could make it showed up for each other. In this picture (from left to right, Fig 3): Feiyu Huang, Murryam Hafeez, Yihan Chen, Lama Abufares, Lara Diab, Imad L. Al-Qadi, Ivan Akonya, Mohammad Fakrhedinne, Akash Bajaj, me (Johann Cardenas), and Hong Lang. Some stayed some extra days to explore Arizona, while others headed back home. I did not stay long after the conference, as the heat was just too much for me, but will definitely consider visiting Arizona again, maybe in a cooler month.