About
I am a civil engineer and graduated with a Bachelors degree from North Carolina State University in May 2007 and as Masters degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in December 2010. I currently am pursuing my doctoral degree at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to researching and studying at Georgia Tech, I conducted research on the overcrowded urban transportation system in Dhaka, Bangladesh on a U.S. Fulbright Scholarship. I spent the next ten months first as an intern at the Regional Plan Association in New York City as part of the America 2050 project and then as a research assistant at the Institute for Transportation Research and Education in Raleigh. At Georgia Tech, I received funding under a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
My professional interests lie in all the areas of transportation including planning, design, and operations. I am drawn particularly to aviation and airlines, freight railroads, regional systems, large scale infrastructure projects, and urban transit. I have a niche interest in the mapping of road systems and the U.S. Interstate Highways. Matters outside but related to my field that I hope to integrate into future study and work include airport infrastructure, airline networks, public transportation access to airports, and high-speed rail. All transportation topics, however, become instantly interesting to me when they involve developing nations.
I was born in Freehold, New Jersey and spent my entire childhood growing up there. Living in Central Jersey certainly plays a large role in my character and I maintain a strong passion for all things Jersey. My family traveled quite frequently throughout the Eastern seaboard to visit family in Ohio and Florida, so I got to know the roads quite well. As a family we ventured overseas to the United Kingdom, Australia, Costa Rica, and the eastern Caribbean coast. Independently, I have lived in Raleigh, North Carolina for four years while attending my university, and grew to love the region nearly as much as my home. Five months of my college career were spent in Cape Town, South Africa studying at the University of Cape Town and traveling all over southern Africa. I spent thirteen months in Dhaka, Bangladesh on a Fulbright Scholarship, and traveled all over the country as well as neighboring nations.
Physical activity is a passion of mine, and I have participated in endurance sports since my freshman year at Manalapan High School. I most recently rowed for Georgia Tech Crew. I ran cross country in high school, and switched to collegiate rowing at NCSU. I thoroughly enjoyed my team on the rowing team, and it was the defining piece of my college experience. During my time on the team, I served in the roles of President, Vice President, Captain, and Recruiting Chair, ultimately leading my team as President to earn Club Sport of the Year in 2007. I also spent a summer sculling at Undine Barge Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I plan to continue with rowing throughout the rest of my life, and seek out opportunities to coach in the future. Besides rowing, I still enjoy running as well as bicycling, swimming, and weight lifting. Other sports and games I enjoy are badminton kubb, bocce ball, shuffleboard, and backgammon.
I grew up following sports with my family, and it is still a favorite pastime of mine. Despite following the Florida Gators throughout childhood (parents are both alumni) I am now a passionate member of the NC State Wolfpack! Professional sports teams I support are the New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, New Jersey Devils, and New Jersey Nets.
In my band, Floating Block Technology (formerly Witness and Derailed, many name changes,) I play bass guitar. Although we don’t release our music, we play and record, and are close to finishing our fourth demo. My favorite genres are alternative, punk, indie, and emo rock. Favorite bands are Radiohead, Metallica, Weezer, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Saves the Day, Fall Out Boy, The Shins, Modest Mouse, and Bright Eyes
I have two wonderful parents and a great sister. Dad works for Avaya, and has been with Bell Laboratories since before I was born. He is as avid a bicyclist as I am rower and runner. Mom is a high school librarian at Neptune High School, and enjoys reading books, sewing, and singing along to Broadway tunes. My sister, a middle school band director in St. Petersburg Florida also attended the University of Florida (yes a family of three Gators and one member of the Wolfpack). She plays an uncountable number of instruments and teaches students at local schools.
I am currently engaged to Amy Dessel. She is an attorney at King and Spalding in Atlanta, Georgia. She grew up in western North Carolina, and attended UNC for law school. We may disagree over the red and white from State and Carolina blue, but we get along in all other ways. We have a set a wedding date for summer 2012.