Four graduate students in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering have been awarded this year’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowships, a prestigious fellowship program under the Federal Highway Administration.
The annual program awards research grants to graduate students pursuing transportation-related degrees. The program’s mission is 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.” This year’s winners are creating innovative solutions to pressing infrastructure and transportation concerns, from climate resilience for passenger rail to vehicle automation technology’s impact on traffic navigation.
CHRISTIAN DOUGLAS
PhD Student in Civil Engineering
RESEARCH
Douglas is studying how vehicle automation technology (advanced driver-assistance systems to fully autonomous vehicles) contributes to individual usability. “What Eisenhower allowed me to present at this past Transportation Research Board (TRB) annual meeting in Washington D.C. was the latter part of my dissertation which explores how automation technology helps drivers navigate traffic situations and the resulting impacts on comfort, stress, and safety,” Douglas said. This is Douglas’s second Eisenhower Fellowship, having previously received one for the 2023-24 academic year.
ADVISOR: Michael Hunter
ADAIR GARRETT
PhD student in Civil Engineering
RESEARCH:
Garrett is researching approaches to build climate resilience for passenger rail systems through improved measurement, adaptation, and educational interventions. “Within the proposal application, I specifically highlighted the work I have been doing with rail agencies like Amtrak and the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) to address real problems they are facing,” she said. This is her second Eisenhower fellowship, having previously received on in the 2022-23 academic year.
ADVISOR: Adjo Amekudzi-Kennedy
TULIO SULBARAN
PhD student in Civil Engineering
RESEARCH:
Sulbaran is in his second year of his PhD program with a concentration in transportation. He received his first Eisenhower fellowship for his research into customer willingness to pay and price elasticity in the airline industry. “The results of this research will help evaluate the value of capturing and storing various types of competitive data (such as alternative options and lowest fares across competitors) and will provide more accurate insights into how customers value different product characteristics, including nonstop vs. connecting itineraries and departure time preferences,” he said.
ADVISOR: Lauren Stewart
TONY TAN
MS student in Civil Engineering
RESEARCH:
Tan is a first year master's student in transportation engineering continuing research projects he began as an undergraduate at Tech. He received his first Eisenhower fellowship for his work on transportation safety and utilizing emerging technologies to automatically assess road conditions and provide recommendations to improve safety. “I am working on integrating advanced data collection methods, such as drone surveys and automated safety assessments, into transportation safety programs and systems for local agencies,” he said.
ADVISOR: James Tsai
