News and Events

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator Michael Zayas Michael Zayas began thinking differently about his future when Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017. “Those events had a profound impact on my quality of life and made me reflect on what I wanted to do with my future,” he said. Having grown up on the island, ...

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator Deidra Jones When Deidra Jones learned that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the University of Florida were partnering to offer a master’s degree in Transportation Leadership, she didn’t hesitate to explore this opportunity further. She immediately knew this program aligned perfectly with her future career goals and her desire ...

by Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research/Communications Coordinator, UFTI Concrete sample surface resistivity is measuredaccording to AASHTO T 358. In this method,the probe is placed on the sample surface at0 degrees to measure the concrete surfaceresistivity, then rotated with the probe beingplaced on the line 90 degrees to the initial line. (Image courtesy of Raid Alrashidi) There ...

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research & Communications, UFTI Four transportation professionals from across Florida working in the public and private sectors graduated this spring from the University of Florida’s Master of Science in Civil Engineering online program with a concentration in Transportation Leadership. Their career paths were different, and so were their reasons for pursuing the ...

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research & Communications, UFTI Shangkun Jiang, doctoral student (Photo courtesy of Shangkun Jiang) The connection between transportation and people’s lives is what sparked Shangkun Jiang’s interest in transportation engineering. “Transportation affects how people commute, access resources, and respond during emergencies,” Jiang said. “I became especially interested in this field when I started working ...

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research & Communications, UFTI Daniela Correa-Caselles is a doctoral student at the M.E Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida. (Photo courtesy of Daniela Correa-Caselles) Our roads are more fragile than we think.  Heavy rain, landslides, and even social unrest can all disrupt the services roads provide.  What ...

The 2026 “Research to Practice” Transit Symposium will be held October 20-22, 2026. The symposium will take place online and be streamed on YouTube. As the transit industry is experiencing significant changes (e.g., new technologies, potential funding shortage) in recent years, the Symposium provides a platform where transit experts share insights on how evidence-based research ...

By Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S., M.A., Research & Communications, UFTI Olusegun Adekunye received a Master of Technology degree in quantity surveying from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. (Photo courtesy of Olusegun Adekunye) When major disruptions occur around the world, most people worry about rising food and gas prices or their favorite products from other countries becoming ...