Dave Jones Scholarship 2020

Dear AMAP Scholarship Committee,

I have been fortunate to be part of the Ph.D. program in the Materials Division of the Civil Engineering Department at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and Materials and Pavements Division of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). I have collaborated on several projects at TAMU and TTI on pavement materials and structures, and asphalt materials. I have also passed several graduate-level courses in these areas. I had selected this field as my research interest and professional career path because I was aware of the positive and significant impacts this industry has on the economy and vitality of the communities. The transportation industry, specifically pavement engineering, serves society by providing resilient and sustainable transportation infrastructure such as highways, airfields, and bridges. They can help communities recover faster after catastrophes, such as hurricanes and flooding, and facilitate emergency activities. Furthermore, transportation infrastructures serve as vital veins of every society, both economically and socially.
I have been honored to be selected to work on several research projects on pavement engineering since I was admitted as a Ph.D. student a few years ago. These projects have been aimed at addressing the issues of the pavement networks for different sponsors with various topics with an emphasis on the asphalt pavements. The sponsors include various departments of transportation and transportation agencies in the U.S. and Canada, and the Transportation Research Board (TRB). The topics of these projects include but are not limited to the development of cracking performance testing for asphalt mixtures and binders and application in the balanced mix design, forensic investigation of asphalt pavement failures, development of testing plans for quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA), revision of asphalt pavement specifications for state organizations, preservation of airfield pavements, and application of recycled materials (RAP and RAS) in the asphalt mixtures. The outcome of these projects can improve the asphalt materials quality, enhance the durability, reduce the life cycle costs, and decrease the rehabilitation works. For example, cracking performance tests can diminish many cracking problems created due to the increased use of modified binders and recycled materials.
Collaboration with many knowledgeable researchers in asphalt technology could help me gain useful skills and experience. For example, I have been working on the development of the performance testing for asphalt mixtures and binders that can address cracking, especially low temperature and reflective cracking. The testing should be practical and capable of application in the QC/QA practices. Moreover, performing layered elastic analysis and structural analysis of pavements for forensic studies and design purposes are parts of these skills. Forensic studies have also included the materials testing and non-destructive pavement evaluation techniques, such as ground penetration radar (GPR) and falling weight deflectometer (FWD). Furthermore, the development of maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) strategies using cost-effective treatments has been inevitable parts of some projects. Last but not least, conducting rheological and mechanical tests in the laboratory for the asphalt mixtures and binders, also to obtain the recently developed performance parameters, has been a significant part of the activities in this area.
Furthermore, I have been publishing papers other than technical reports and presenting our results in the TRB and ASCE conferences. Moreover, I have accepted voluntary roles in student organizations. I was elected and served as the vice president of the Civil Materials Student Organization. These roles could enhance the network between the academia and asphalt industry as well as the leadership skills.

Sincerely,
Poura Arabali.

Email: poura.arabali@tamu.edu

I was honored to work as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) while pursuing my Ph.D. degree at Texas A&M University (TAMU). I had the privilege to work with the TTI skillful researchers on several projects aimed at solving problems faced in pavement engineering. I was selected to collaborate on a TTI project sponsored by the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) as my first experience with TTI. This project was about the development of guidelines for preservation of airfield pavements.
The experience with this project and discussions with the researchers made me more determined and passionate about the path I had selected in this field, which could direct engineers toward the preservation of the national resources. Thus, I continued my research with TTI on other projects about pavements and asphalt materials for different sponsors, including Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and Ontario Road Builders Association in Ontario, Canada.
Development and investigation of performance testing for asphalt mixtures were studied in the MnDOT and TxDOT projects. Furthermore, performing forensic analysis, mechanistic-empirical pavement design, and structural analysis was a part of the steps performed while collaborating on the TxDOT, MnDOT, and Ontario projects. Moreover, the effects of recycled materials, modified binders, and material properties on the pavement performance were studied in the MnDOT and TxDOT projects. Conducting rheological and mechanical tests for asphalt mixtures and binders and developing innovative test procedures were the valuable experience gained during these projects. In addition, QC/QA practices and asphalt specifications were studied and revised in an ODOT project. The effects of compaction methods on the characterization of granular materials were also investigated in a TxDOT project.

HONORS AND AWARDS:

• Keese-Wootan Transportation Fellowship, TTI Award (May 2019)
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Award Recipient (Competitive Fellowship Recipient of the Year)

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Site Program Award (May 2019)
NSF I-Corps (I-Crops- TAMU) Site Program

• Academic Excellence Award (May 2018 and May 2019)
Texas A&M University (Competitive Award)

• Competitive Non-resident Tuition Waiver Scholarship (May 2018 and May 2019)
Texas A&M University

• International Education Fee Scholarship (IEFS) (Apr. 2017, and Mar. 2018)
Scholarships and Financial Aid, Texas A&M University

• Ranked 2nd among students of the division during M.Sc. studies (Sep. 2011)
School of Civil Engineering, University of Tehran

I try to spend some time every week for my own personal interests, although it may be sometimes challenging for Ph.D. candidates to find a lot of time for their hobbies. The hobbies which I am very interested in and usually try to fit it in the weekly program are sports, exercise, and watching TV series. My favorite sports are Soccer, Volleyball, Swimming, and Badminton. I am also interested in gathering with friends and watching movies in the movie theater. Moreover, I attend concerts if I find my favorite singers or genres and affordable ones.

I have been involved in the commercialization of innovative ideas at Texas A&M University (TAMU). As a teamwork activity in a group of two students, an innovative idea about a sustainable eco-friendly construction material was submitted and accepted in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Crops (I-Crops- TAMU) Site Program (TAMU). Application and commercialization opportunities for the proposed idea was investigated. Generally, the challenges and entrepreneurial opportunities for innovative ideas and research topics were studied.

Furthermore, I have enhanced my communication and leadership skills by accepting voluntary roles and officer positions in student organizations. I was elected and served as the vice-president and officer of the Civil Materials Student Organization (CMSO) in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at TAMU. Moreover, I was elected as the treasurer of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) TAMU Chapter. Our mission in these organizations was to organize events such as technical sessions and lectures, field trips, and social events. They could also help create and maintain connections between our department and industry, as well as other universities and research institutes. In the technical sessions, professors, researchers, and professionals from both academia and industry were invited to give presentations at TAMU. Field trips to construction sites, materials production facilities, etc. were also organized. In addition, I have been involved in other organizations as a volunteer to help new students in the first month of arrival.