Reflecting on a Year of Innovation: Celebrating the CTIS Class of 2025 

As we close the doors on a successful 2025 and look forward to the opportunities of 2026, CTIS is taking a moment to reflect on the incredible talent that has shaped our research this year. We are incredibly proud to celebrate the achievements of our graduates, whose work continues to push the boundaries of transportation engineering. We congratulate our graduates on their outstanding academic achievements and meaningful contributions to transportation infrastructure research; their dedication, perseverance, and scholarly excellence reflect the strength of our academic community and the impact of our research mission as we transition into a promising new year. 

Our 2025 Doctoral Researchers: 
Hector Cruz , Ph.D. (May, 2025). Dissertation: “A Numerical Analysis Tool to Evaluate Pavements Integrated with Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer Technology.” We're proud to have him as a researcher at CTIS. 

Parastoo Bahri , Ph.D., (December, 2025). Dissertation: “Development of Performance Acceptable Lab-Molded Density Range for Mix Design and Quality Management.” 

Zahra Mohajeri, Ph.D., E.I.T , (December, 2025). Dissertation: “Investigation of Hot Mix Asphalt Aging Effect on Binder Performance.” We are proud to see her already applying this high-level expertise in the industry as an Engineering Assistant at Jobe Materials, where she continues to strengthen the transportation materials sector.

Our Master's Student: 

Dasina Francis , M.S., (Spring 2025). Thesis: “A Study of Air Voids and Effective Air Voids in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA).” Dasina’s research contributes valuable insight into asphalt mixture performance and quality considerations, further supporting advancements in pavement materials engineering.

Sebastian Morales , M.S., (August 2025). Thesis: “Application of Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) for Monitoring Asphalt Pavement Strains Under Accelerated Loading Conditions.” Sebastian’s research examined the use of advanced sensing technologies to monitor pavement strain behavior under accelerated loading, supporting improved pavement evaluation methods and long-term performance analysis.

Recognizing Our Undergraduate Success: 
We further congratulate Flavio Chavarria Rebollar (B.S. Mechanical Engineering, May 2025) and Missel Sanchez (B.S. Civil Engineering, December 2025) on their graduations this past year. Flavio’s academic accomplishments reflect the strong technical foundations and dedication required for the next chapter of his professional journey. Missel, a dedicated CTIS alumna, left a lasting impact on our community through her collaborative spirit and is now applying her passion for engineering as a Water/Wastewater Resources Engineer at Jacobs , supporting critical infrastructure projects. 

CTIS is honored to have supported these graduates throughout their academic journeys. We celebrate their accomplishments and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will continue to make in academia, industry, and the transportation engineering profession.

Congratulations to all and a Happy New Year to our entire engineering community!