Second-year student, Beth Westlake, recently presented her research, "Perception of Driver Distraction Among Teenage Drivers," at the University of Iowa's Jakobsen Conference. While working on her MS in Industrial Engineering, Beth surveyed nearly 2,000 students at seven area high schools to determine if teenagers’ perception of distracted driving affected their decision to engage in distracting activities. Understanding teenage behavioral decisions can help improve roadway safety.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen published an interview with Beth on Sunday, May 2, 2010.