This year, the University of Florida launched Summer Undergraduate Research at Florida (SURF), which is a 10-week program that provides students, excelling in their studies at their home institutions, with the opportunity to work with premier faculty at UF on active research projects. Out of the 21 students pursuing research experiences in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, two of them are at the UF Transportation Institute (UFTI).
Asean Davis, is an undergraduate in civil engineering at Jackson State University. He is working with Dr. Scott Washburn on a project testing and verifying two-lane highway analysis methodology under development for the Highway Capacity Manual. He currently works with two traffic simulation programs, TransModeler and SwashSim, to prepare simulation input files, run simulations, and perform analysis of simulation outputs.
“This is my first experience researching and I am thankful to SURF for allotting me this opportunity. Just recently, I was able to participate in a Ph.D. student’s driving simulation research project to assist in the startup of his date collection. I like that they not only let us partake in research but also assist us in preparation for the Graduate Recognition Examination (GRE). One of the best things is that they understand that it is still the summer and schedule group outings so we can truly experience Gainesville and all it has to offer.”
Jabari Wilson from the University of Alabama is an undergraduate in civil engineering. He is working with Dr. Lily Elefteriadou’s Autonomous Vehicles at Intelligent Intersections and Advanced Networks (AVIAN) team assisting in the testing of new algorithms developed to optimize connected and highly automated vehicle trajectories when approaching a signal.
“I like that the SURF Program gives us a chance to get to know faculty, staff and current Ph.D. students while giving us first-hand experience researching in our respective fields of study. I have enjoyed the opportunity to gain insight on the process of getting accepted into a Ph.D. program, conducting research, and pursuing a doctoral degree. In addition to the academic side of the program, SURF has a less formal side that allows participants to become familiar with the attractions and social atmosphere of Gainesville and its surrounding areas.”
Learn more about the SURF program here: https://www.eng.ufl.edu/graduate/campus-visits/summer-undergraduate-research-at-florida-surf/