Category: Alumni Spotlight

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator, UFTI He almost became an architect. Instead, Benito Pérez became what one mentor called a “social architect” — someone focused not just on buildings, but on how people move through and experience their communities. Today, Pérez serves as the Section Chief for Transit Capital Statewide at the Illinois […]

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator Transportation research is most meaningful when it leads to solutions that benefit society.  For Wei Sun, that mindset, further reinforced during graduate school, has shaped much of his career. “The best solution is not necessarily the most complex or sophisticated one,” he said. “It is the one that […]

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator, UFTI From a small town in southwestern Puerto Rico to supporting the contracting and partnering of engineering and architectural firms with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Miguel Lugo, a UF alumnus, has carved out a path focused on transportation and public service. “Transportation infrastructure is vital to […]

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator, UFTI Two-lane roads were the main source of transportation infrastructure on Lesvos, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, where Dimitra Michalaka was born. At age 12, while traveling through Italy with her family, she remembers sitting at the back of a tour bus, watching how bridges crossed […]

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator, UFTI Alexandra Kondyli, Ph.D., professor of transportation engineering at the University of Kansas (KU), has always been fascinated by how transportation influences how people move, live, and connect. That interest solidified toward the end of her undergraduate years, when she became interested in measuring and understanding the ever-changing […]

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator Five students graduated on Monday, May 5, from UF’s online master’s degree in civil engineering with a concentration in transportation leadership. To celebrate this very important moment in their lives, the graduates were honored with a reception at the I-STREET Living Lab, the location for UF’s real-world testbed […]

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator It was more than just a study abroad experience in Madrid, Spain, for Eliana Duarte – it was a moment that inspired her passion for transportation engineering. Duarte, who graduated with her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UF in Fall 2024, describes that eye-opening moment. “My passion […]

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., UFTI Research & Communications Coordinator Many students pursue a doctoral degree because they wish to deepen their knowledge, contribute to enhancing the state of the art and make some sort of meaningful impact in their chosen field. For Isabelle Wandenkolk, that desire led her to explore how to use technology […]

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., UFTI Research Coordinator/Communications For some students, the journey to higher education is a straight path. For others, such as Charles Grigley, it can be a road full of adventures and unique experiences, ultimately shaping an interesting and meaningful career. This is a story about one student’s journey to higher education. […]

An invitation to take part in a transit research project during his undergraduate years in civil engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez motivated Dr. Miguel Lugo to pursue transportation engineering. The project paired students from various disciplines to work on topics related to urban systems, sustainability, and human factors.  “I was exposed […]