NCAT Graduate Students Awarded AAPT Scholarships

Three civil engineering graduate students conducting research at the NCAT Test Track have received competitive scholarships and recognition from the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists. Tiana Lynn was awarded the Ward K. Parr Scholarship with Megan Foshee selected as runner-up, and Faustina Keuliyan won the Rebecca S. McDaniel Memorial Scholarship. These annual awards, selected from an international pool of candidates, are aimed to support students pursuing careers in asphalt pavement technology.

Tiana Lynn was interested in pavements and materials at an early age and worked summers throughout high school at her parent’s construction materials testing firm focusing on quality control and specimen preparation. “I grew up in this industry and I have loved it,” said Lynn. “This scholarship symbolizes joining the family that is the asphalt technology industry, joining my parents as professionals in this field, and joining the legacy of those who’ve received this prestigious scholarship – one of which was my mother. It’s a true honor.”

Lynn is a second-year graduate student advised by Benjamin Bowers, assistant professor in Auburn’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “I’m incredibly proud of Tiana and Faustina,” said Bowers. “They’ve excelled in the classroom, in the lab and amongst their peers. In many ways, it was no surprise to me that they won these awards.”

Faustina Keuliyan is studying modifiers that can prevent or reduce asphalt aging under the direction of Nam Tran, assistant director and research professor at the National Center for Asphalt Technology. “It’s an extremely rewarding challenge to continue learning and have the potential to help bring growth and improvements into the asphalt industry through my research,” said Keuliyan. “It is especially meaningful that my scholarship honors Rebecca McDaniel, an inspiring woman who made game-changing contributions to the industry. It has definitely motivated me to keep working hard towards my goals and share my own experiences with the rest of the asphalt pavement community.”