November News 2019
Student Spotlight: Ala Alobeidyeen
Ala Alobeidyeen is currently a Ph.D. student. She received her master's degree in transportation engineering from the University of Jordan. She then went to study at the Illinois Institute of Technology, finally joining the Gator Nation at the University of Florida. As Ala continues her journey through studies and research, she also makes time to volunteer in the community. 
This month she is being recognized for her community involvement as a recipient of the UF International Center Diane Fisher Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to international students who show exemplary service to UF and the Gainesville community. Ala is also being recognized for her academic record as a recipient of the UF International Center Student Achievement Certificate of Excellence. 
Don't forget to submit abstracts and workshop proposals for the 8th UTC Conference for the Southeastern Region
Conference organizers welcome abstracts for podium and poster presentations from faculty and students.

Selected abstracts will be invited for a full paper submission which will be included in a special issue of IEEE Transactions of Intelligent Transportation Systems.

Student posters will be competing for scholarships of $500 for the 1st place, $250 for the 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place.

Additionally, conference organizers welcome and encourage workshop proposals related to the conference theme from faculty and practitioners. Workshop presentation swill be held on March 25.

UFTI at the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Annual Meeting
Several UFTI faculty and students presented at the INFORMS Annual Meeting in Seattle this past month. The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Annual Meeting provides attendees with a unique opportunity to connect and network. 
Dr. Lily Elefteriadou and Dr. Xilei Zhao both gave presentations, as did Ph.D. student Stephen Spana.
I-STREET: Researching Ways to Make School Zones Safer
Many factors are at work in attempts to make school-zones safe. With funding from the Florida Department of Transportation, researchers with the UFTI are looking at how apps can impact safety and travel behavior in school zones. 
Traditionally safety has been measured by looking at crash data for an area. For this project, researchers wanted to be more proactive and not wait for accidents to happen.

Application deadline for the McTrans Director position is Nov. 7, 2019
UFTI is looking for a new McTrans Director
The McTrans Director will be responsible for maintaining and enhancing its existing software products and functions, as well as expanding its applications to include: developing new software products to support various applications related to research and development of advanced transportation technologies. This position will also develop transportation-related educational software and will closely liaise with the faculty and staff affiliated with UFTI. 
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