Student of the Year

Each year during the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) honors the best and brightest students from University Transportation Centers (UTC) in the nation for contribution to the transportation field. The students are selected for outstanding accomplishments in research, academics, professionalism, leadership and technical merit. The UTC program is administered by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) at USDOT.

This is a headshot of Bryce Grame in a tan suit, smiling.

2023 Student of the Year – Bryce Grame, Ph.D. student, University of Florida

This is a headshot of Matteo Saracco in a blue suit, smiling.

2022 Student of the Year – Matteo Saracco, M.S., Georgia Institute of Technology

This is a headshot of Mitchell Fisher in a tan suit, smiling.

2021 Student of the Year – Mitchell Fisher, Ph.D. student, Auburn University

This is a picture of Patrick Emami in a crisp, white shirt with an orange and blue tie standing in UF's football field.

2020 Student of the Year – Patrick Emami, Ph.D. student, University of Florida

This is a picture of Rebecca Kiriazes in a black shirt smiling.

2019 Student of the Year – Rebecca Kiriazes, Ph.D. student, Georgia Technological University

This is a picture of Shoaib Samandar in a black suit, smiling.

2018 Student of the Year – M. Shoaib Samandar, Ph.D. student, North Carolina State University

This is a picture of Les Brow in a blue suit, smiling

2017 Student of the Year – Les Brown, MURP, Sr. Managing Consultant, Transportation at ICF

This is a picture of Don Watson in a light grey shirt and pink tie, smiling.

2016 Student of the Year – Don Watson, Ph.D., Traffic Specialist, FDOT District 5 (University of Florida)

This is a picture of Clark Letter in a brown polo shirt, smiling.

2015 Student of the Year – Clark Letter, Ph.D, ITE Engineer, HNTB Corporation (University of Florida)

This is a picture of Louis Merlin in a grey suit, smiling

2014 Student of the Year – Dr. Louis Merlin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Florida Atlantic University

This is a picture of Erica Schmidt in a black suit jacket, smiling.

2013 Student of the Year – Erica Schmidt, master’s student, University of Alabama at Birmingham

This is a picture of Amy Cavaretta laying on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol, her eye looking up at the sky and her hands folded on her chin, smiling.

2012 Student of the Year – Amy Dunham, MURP, AICP, Senior Transportation Planner, WSP USA (University of Florida)