Dear colleagues and friends,  

The last four years at the University of South Florida have been some of the most exciting and rewarding during my professional career. Since I started at CUTR, we have experienced immeasurable success in both the classroom and the field of transportation.

In 2019, CUTR received a $7.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate innovative solutions to traffic congestion (National Institute for Congestion Reduction). With our partners from University of California Berkeley, Texas A&M University, and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, the first-year projects are underway. Fueling future transportation engineers and planners, CUTR awarded $20,000 in scholarships to students at last year’s Transportation Achievement Awards – the largest amount awarded in the event’s history. We have consistently put students at the forefront of our operations, and I am proud of their dedication and efforts throughout my tenure at CUTR!  

Effective in late August, I will be leaving CUTR and the University of South Florida to begin my journey as Head of the School of Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE) and Professor of Civil Engineering at Oregon State University. As you can imagine, this was a difficult decision as I have called Florida my home for several years. However, I believe this position will allow me to be closer to my family during these unprecedented times and further my academic pursuits and research.  

As we make this transition, the College of Engineering’s Associate Dean of Research Fred Mannering will serve as interim director of CUTR with the assistance of Transit Safety and Workforce Development Program Director Lisa Staes as associate director. Together, the duo has over 60 years of experience within the field of transportation, and I am confident in their appointments as CUTR searches for a new director.