Battifarano and Grahn Awarded Eisenhower Fellowship
Matt Battifarano and Rick Grahn have both been awarded a Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Transportation.Battifarano complete his undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago with a degree in mathematics. Advised by professor Sean Qian, he is currently working on his PhD where his research is focused on building robust mathematical models of behavior and performance in multi-modal transportation networks by leveraging a wide variety of urban data.
Grahn earned his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering University of New Mexico and joined the department January 2018. He is co-advised by professors Sean Qian, Scott Matthews, and Chris Hendrickson. His research centers on the interaction between ridehailing services (Uber, Lyft) and the existing public transit system. He is looking at strategies to improve the efficiency and equity of modern transportation systems.
The mission of the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program is to attract the nation’s brightest minds to the field of transportation and advance transportation workforce development. The DDETFP is managed by Technology Partnership Program, Federal Highway Administration. The DDETFP encompasses all modes of transportation.
The DDETFP awards are fellowships to students pursuing degrees in transportation-related disciplines. This program advances the transportation workforce by helping 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.
From its initial support of graduate research fellowships in 1983, to the current program’s inception in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, the DDETFP has awarded over $50 million to the brightest minds in the transportation industry. From this investment, fellows have pushed for innovative change in multimodal areas from highway infrastructure to aviation to maritime, making the industry more effective and efficient. Fellows pursue careers in academia, private industry, and public service, becoming leaders across the nation.