Scholarship Highlight:
Amr Shafik is a student at Virginia Tech. He majors in Civil Engineering and will graduate this year in 2025. Read more about his story in his own words below!
Background: What inspired your interest in clean transportation and/or sustainability?
“With an academic and research background in transportation systems engineering, I have gained extensive experience in transportation systems optimization and predictive modeling applied to traffic systems. Currently a Ph.D. candidate at Virginia Tech, my research explores advanced methods for optimizing connected and automated vehicle trajectories, estimating traffic state characteristics, and enhancing traffic signal control to reduce delays and improve fuel efficiency. Through both industry and academia, I have developed and applied various transportation models and simulations.”
After you graduate, what kind of work would you like to be doing? What are you most excited for about your future career?
“I wish to engage in research work that addresses the transportation challenges such as congestion and urban expansion.”
How has this scholarship helped you so far, and how might this scholarship help you prepare for your potential career?
“This scholarship provides me with resources that allows me to learn more about this topic in general and gives me the opportunity to meet with professionals to learn about their work in the field and share ideas with them.”
Congratulations, Amr! We can’t wait to see how your future research will impact our world by addressing transportation challenges.
This article is part of a series highlighting the recipients of the Last Mile Leadership Program (LMLP) scholarship, a component of a U.S. Department of Energy project focusing on decarbonization in Virginia. This award is run through the LODESTAR program operated by Virginia Clean Cities. Awarded to students, these scholarships are aimed at advancing clean transportation and electric vehicle (EV) adoption.