Eleftheria (Ria) Kontou, has been selected to receive the 2016 Future Industry Spotlight Award by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). This award is given every year to a female graduate or undergraduate student enrolled at a U.S. college or university who has an outstanding academic record and who has demonstrated leadership qualities outside the academic environment.

“It is a great honor to receive the Future Industry Spotlight Award by ARTBA,” Kontou said. “I would like to thank the University of Florida Transportation Institute faculty and staff, and in particular my adviser Dr. Yafeng Yin, for his support in achieving my goals and aspirations as a transportation engineer.”

Kontou is in her last year of her Ph.D. program; her dissertation work focuses on proposing policies for socially optimal electrification of the light-duty vehicle fleet. Her research maximizes the benefits from accelerating the diffusion and managing operations of plug-in electric vehicles so as to achieve higher energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impacts of the passenger transportation sector.

Currently, Kontou serves as the vice president of the WTS Advancing Women in Transportation student chapter at UF.  She has been very active leading and promoting WTS on campus and finding opportunities for its student chapter’s members.

Kontou will be recognized at the ARTBA Foundation Awards Luncheon during the ARTBA National Convention in Tucson, AZ in October. This award is part of the Women Leaders in Transportation Design and Construction Awards program, which was established in 2010 by ARTBA. Its goal is to recognize women leaders.