Eleven students attending partner universities of the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) are receiving Eisenhower Fellowships presented by the U.S. Department of Transportation at this year's annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Meet this year's NITC Eisenhower Fellows:

Ashley (Ash) Avila, University of Arizona

Ash Avila is a graduate student in the Accelerated Master’s Program in Urban Planning at the University of Arizona with a focus on transportation and environmental planning. She is currently a graduate research assistant studying the effects of heat and other weather patterns on travel behavior as part of a larger Department of Energy collaborative grant. She was a 2022 TRB Minority Student Fellow and a 2022 NITC Diversity Grant recipient where she researched the effects of personal vehicles on surrounding ambient air temperatures. She is also the communications officer for the Graduate Planning Society and is looking forward to continuing her path in academia after graduating with a Master’s degree.

Taryn DiLorenzo, University of Texas at Arlington

Taryn DiLorenzo received her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in the fall of 2019 from the University of Central Florida and her Master of Science in Civil Engineering in the spring of 2021 from the University of Texas at Arlington. Ms. DiLorenzo is currently working toward her PhD at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her dissertation research involves the development of a real-time bridge ice warning system using dielectric sensing. Ms. DiLorenzo’s research interests include the use of sensors for enhancing the safety and sustainability of winter road maintenance operations.

 

Eder Fuabuna, University of Texas at Arlington

Eder Fuabuna received a Transportation Research Board Scholarship for $3,000. Eder is pursuing a Master of Engineering degree in structural engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. Eder Fuabuna received a Transportation Research Board Scholarship for $3,000. Eder is pursuing a Master of Engineering degree in structural engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. Eder completed his bachelor's degree in civil engineering in spring 2020 and has 4 years of experience working in the Texas Department of Transportation. Eder has experiences in roadway design, drainage and construction. Eder has a passion to design bridge as well and this year, Eder will rotate to bridge department to gain experiences in bridge design. Eder is in the process to pass the professional engineering exam (PE) to become a Transportation licensed engineer.

 

 

Gabriel (Gabe) Geffen, University of Arizona

Gabe Geffen is a PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant working with Dr. Yao-Jan Wu in the University of Arizona Smart Transportation Lab. He is the recipient of a 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Geffen earned his bachelor's in civil engineering and engineering mechanics from the University of Arizona in 2023. His research area is traffic engineering.

 

 

 

Carolline Graciano, University of Texas at Arlington

Carolline Graciano is a graduate research and teaching assistant pursuing a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. She is passionate about transportation services such as roadways and drainage designs, and always striving to turn ideas into logical strategies and implement systems that optimize productivity. 

 

 

 

Ariana Grant, University of Texas at Arlington

Ariana Grant received her B.A in Economics from University of South Florida as well as her Masters in Sustainability with a focus in Transportation as well as a graduate certificate in Community Development. She has experience as an equity-based transportation planner and is currently a research analyst for Dr. Evan Mistur and teaching assistant for Dr. Jianling Li. Ariana is currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Planning with a focus in transportation equity at the University of Texas at Arlington, College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs where her current work focuses on but not limited to disabled peoples access to major US airports and k-12 low-income students transportation access to high quality schools. 

Swastik Khadka, University of Texas at Arlington

Swastik Khadka, a 26-year-old graduate, is currently in the process of earning a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. As a third-year Ph.D. student, I hold positions as the President of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and Vice President of the Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) at the UT Arlington student chapter. Additionally, I work as a Graduate Research Assistant and a Graduate Teaching Assistant under the guidance of Dr. Pengfei (Taylor) Li, Ph.D., P.E. In my role as a teaching assistant, I conduct tutorials on PTV VISSIM and provide assistance to students with their class projects.

 

Yilun Lu, University of Texas at Arlington

Yilun Lu is a second-year PhD student in Finance at the University of Texas at Arlington, specializing in corporate finance, asset pricing, and research that bridges disciplines to benefit the transportation sector. He will be presenting a paper titled "The Trade-off Between Carbon Emission Reduction and Motor Fuel Tax Revenue: Assessing the Impact of Interest Rate Hike" at the TRB 103rd Annual Meeting.

 

   

 

David Reynoso, University of Texas at Arlington

David Reynoso, an Oak Cliff native and son of Mexican immigrants, is a first-generation college graduate. He earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Rochester in 2020. David Reynoso is pursuing his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, focusing on research to create an efficient, cost-effective, and reliable material damage detection system using the concepts of Fabry-Perot Interferometry (FPI) and wave generation/sensing methodologies. In addition to his studies, David is actively involved with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), where he serves as the Regional Graduate Representative for Region 5, encompassing Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Additionally, David is the president and founder of the Latinx Graduate Student Association (LGSA) at UTA, dedicated to the recruitment, retention, and success of Latino graduate students.

Oyinkansola Sodiya, University of Texas at Arlington

Oyinkansola Sodiya is a Doctoral Student at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research focuses on the receptiveness of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Process Automation Augmentation in the Workplace. In her previous roles, she led AI and RPA teams at DHL Supply Chain, Boeing, and Raymond James Financial. Among other associations, she is a member of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Academy of Management, and the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Association. Her noteworthy contributions to the industry and her dedication to ensuring organizational readiness for technological advancements have been widely recognized. She earned the prestigious 2016 DHL Excellence Award and had a filmed recognition ceremony at the Raymond James Stadium in 2018. 

Kayla Sorenson, Portland State University

Kayla Sorenson is a Civil & Environmental Engineering PhD student specializing in geotechnical engineering at Portland State University. She has also been awarded a prestigious one-year fellowship sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). She has served on the EERI's Student Leadership Council since 2020, serving as co-president last year. Kayla is also involved in the EERI PSU student chapter, attending multiple outreach events aimed at strengthening the ties between the community, industry professionals, and local government officials. Additionally, she received both a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Portland State University

The Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program advances the transportation workforce by helping to attract the nation's brightest minds to the field of transportation, encouraging future transportation professionals to seek advanced degrees, and helping to retain top talent in the U.S. transportation industry.

The National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) is one of seven U.S. Department of Transportation national university transportation centers. NITC is a program of the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University. This PSU-led research partnership also includes the Oregon Institute of Technology, University of Arizona, University of Oregon, University of Texas at Arlington and University of Utah. We pursue our theme — improving mobility of people and goods to build strong communities — through research, education and technology transfer.