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Student Accomplishments
Molakatalla Graduates
Udit Molakatalla has graduated from NDSU with an M.S. degree in civil engineering with the transportation option. Molakatalla has accepted a position in Tallahassee, FL, with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., a transportation and engineering consulting firm. The title of his thesis is "A Case Study Investigating Asphalt Film Thickness as a Superpave Mix Design Criterion." He is originally from India.
Vladisavljevic Wins ITE Intermountain Section Annual Student Paper Contest
Ivana Vladisavljevic received first place in the Utah Chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Student Paper Contest. Her paper, "Impact of Cell Phone Conversation While Driving on Car Following Behavior," examines the impact that distracted drivers have on traffic flow. The intermountain section includes students from universities in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Utah. Vladisavljevic received a $400 cash reward and has been asked to present her paper at the Intermountain Section Meeting in Jackson, Wyoming. She is a research assistant at the Utah Traffic Lab and a graduate student at the University of Utah.
MPC Supports Scholarships at NDSU
Four $1,500 scholarships are funded each year at NDSU by the Mountain-Plains Consortium through a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The scholarships are awarded at the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute's Annual Awards Banquet each fall. The Paul E.R. Abrahamson Transportation Scholarship recognizes academic achievement and interest in agricultural transportation and logistics. Kimberly Spear of Fargo and Chris Duchsherer of Drake, N.D., received the award this year. They are both seniors in agribusiness and applied economics.
The University Transportation Center Engineering Scholarship recognizes academic performance and an interest in transportation. The scholarships were presented to Amy Hardy of Ellendale, N.D., and Jason Mayfield of Fargo. Hardy is a junior and Mayfield is a senior, both majoring in civil engineering. Twenty-two scholarships have been awarded since they were established in 2002.
New Faculty
Pannapa Herabat joined the Department of Construction Management and Engineering at North Dakota State University in August as an assistant professor. She specializes in asset management systems, bridge management systems, pavement management systems, deterioration modeling and infrastructure management. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh where she earned B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering. Before coming to NDSU she was an assistant professor in the School of Engineering and Technology at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand.
Advisory Committee
An advisory committee was created within the last year to help MPC directors identify key research needs within the region and develop a research program that addresses those needs. The committee will play a key role in setting the MPC's research agenda.
The MPC advisory committee includes:
- Carlos Braceras, Utah DOT
- Peggy Catlin, Colorado DOT
- Loran Frazier, Montana DOT
- Anthony Giancola, National Association of County Engineers
- David Huft, South Dakota DOT
- Christine Johnson, FHWA – western region
- Grant Levi, North Dakota DOT
- Jeff Loftus, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Delbert McOmie, Wyoming DOT
- Craig Rockey, Association of American Railroads
