Undergraduate Research

The Infrastructure Research Group prioritizes undergraduate research mentoring. This page is dedicated to the undergraduate students and alumni who have conducted research as a part of the IRG. 

Meet our current URAs:

Grace Jiang | 3rd Year Civil Engineering Undergraduate Student
Research Interests: Resilient Infrastructure Systems, Climate Resiliency, Smart Infrastructure
Education: B.S. Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, May 2027

Grace is an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech majoring in Civil Engineering. With a strong passion for sustainability and climate resiliency planning, she is committed to creating a more sustainable future by addressing environmental challenges through innovative solutions. She is an active member of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), where she engages with peers and professionals to advance sustainable engineering practices. In her free time, Grace enjoys baking, making crafts, and spending time with friends and family.
Rhea Joshi | 3rd Year Undergraduate Environmental Engineering Student
Research Interests: Infrastructure Resilience, Climate Policy Impacts, Sustainability, Environmental Justice, Public Transportation
Education: B.S. Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, May 2027

Rhea is a 3rd year undergraduate student at Georgia Tech. She is majoring in Environmental Engineering (minoring in Public Policy) and is passionate about improving infrastructure sustainability, resilience, and equity using well-designed and well-implemented public policy. In her free time, Rhea enjoys reading, writing, and running.
Tokumo Sakamuro | 2nd Year Civil Engineering Undergraduate Student
Research Interests: Public Transportation, Infrastructure Resilience, Sustainable Systems Development
Education: B.S. Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, May 2028

Tokumo is a 2nd year undergraduate student studying Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech. He is interested in sustainable development and resilient infrastructure systems. In his free times, he enjoys archery, football games, and spending time with his family and friends.

The following list highlights some of the projects of undergraduate students who worked with the IRG and have since graduated from Georgia Tech:

  • Taylor Sherwood
    • Research Topic: Complex Adaptive Systems, Spring 2024 – Spring 2025.
  • Elizabeth Letizia
    • Research Topic: Refining the Portfolio of Resilience Metrics, Fall 2023 – Spring 2024.
  • Caroline Delcroix
    • Research Topic: Fundamental Relationships between Sustainability and Resilience, Fall 2023 – Fall 2024.
  • Maya Orthous Inchauste
    • Research Topic: Transportation System Resilience, Social Equity and Accessibility; Negotiated Resilience, Spring 2023 – Fall 2024.
    • Publications:
      • Garrett, A., Orthous Inchauste, M., Yarbrough, C., Amekudzi-Kennedy, A., and B. Woodall. Enhancing Disaster Resilience and Authentic Public Partnership in Transportation Practice: Negotiated Resilience Capability Maturity Model. Transportation Research Record. Washington, D.C. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981251364841
      • Woodall, B., Amekudzi-Kennedy, A., Orthous Inchauste, M., Sundararajan, S., Medina, A., Smith, S., and K. Popp. Institutional resilience and disaster governance: How countries respond to Black Swan events. Progress in Disaster Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdisas.2024.100329
  • Agam Singh
    • Research Topic: Development of Modified Resilience Triangle Tool for Economic Evaluation of Adaptation Alternatives, Spring 2021 – Summer 2022.
  • Carlos Cedeno
    • Research Topic: Development of GIS-Based Multi-Hazards Exposure Analysis Tool, Spring 2021 – Summer 2022.
  • Emily Williams
    • Research Topic: Risk and Resilience Metrics, Fall 2021 – Summer 2022.
    • Publication: Amekudzi-Kennedy, A., Singh, P., Williams, E., Cuadra, M., Ashuri, B., Woodall, B., Garrett, A., Tennakoon, M., Clark, R., and A. Dheeraj. Developing Transportation Resilience Adaptively to Climate Change: A Risk-Based, Adaptive and Mitigation-Based Approach. Transportation Research Record. Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Washington, D.C. https://doi.org/10.1177/036119812311869, First published online: September 21, 2023.
  • Simrill Smith
    • Research Topic: Black Swan Event Planning: Institutions and Innovation, Spring 2021.
    • Publication: Woodall, B., Amekudzi-Kennedy, A., Orthous Inchauste, M., Sundararajan, S., Medina, A., Smith, S., and K. Popp. Institutional resilience and disaster governance: How countries respond to Black Swan events. Progress in Disaster Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdisas.2024.100329
  • Tanay Tak
    • Research Topic: Black Swan Event Planning: Institutions and Innovation, Fall 2020.
  • Sarah Walker
    • Research Topic: Black Swan Event Planning: Simulation Tools, Fall 2020.
  • Manuel Cuadra
    • Research Topic: Transportation System Resilience: Best Practices, Fall 2020 – Spring 2021.
  • Katie Popp
    • Research Topic: Black Swan Event Planning: Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty Methods, Summer and Fall 2020.
    • Publication: Woodall, B., Amekudzi-Kennedy, A., Orthous Inchauste, M., Sundararajan, S., Medina, A., Smith, S., and K. Popp. Institutional resilience and disaster governance: How countries respond to Black Swan events. Progress in Disaster Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdisas.2024.100329
  • Ty Parrillo
    • Research Topics: Vulnerability Analysis of Inland Flood Risk in Metropolitan Atlanta and the state of Georgia, Spring and Summer 2020; Transportation System Resilience: Real Options Analysis, Fall 2020 – Spring 2021.
  • Derek Rizzi
    • Research Topics: Equity Analysis of Inland Flood Risk in Metropolitan Atlanta and the State of Georgia, Spring and Summer 2020; Transportation System Resilience: Adaptive Planning Approaches, Fall 2020 – Spring 2021.
  • Mandani Tennakoon
    • Research Topics: Feasibility and Economic Analyses of Gray and Green Infrastructure Solutions to Inland Flood Risk in Metropolitan Atlanta and the State of Georgia, Spring 2020; Emerging Methods for Planning under Deep Uncertainty, Fall 2021.
  • Ashlee Bryant
    • Research Topic: History of Institutions and Recommendations for Government Regulations to Address Inland Flood Risk in Metropolitan Atlanta and the State of Georgia, Spring 2020. 
  • Haley Callaway
    • Research Topic: Analysis of the Drivers of Socioeconomic Development in the Global South, Summer 2018 – Fall 2019.
  • Jose-Luis Simao
    • Research Topic: Institutions, Infrastructure and the Socio-economy: Data Collection and Analysis, Spring 2017 – Fall 2017.
  • Alexandra Akosa
    • Research Topic: Institutions, Infrastructure and the Socio-economy: U. S. Case Study, Spring 2017 – Fall 2017.
  • Haley Franklin
    • Research Topic: Institutions, Infrastructure and the Socio-economy: Japan Case Study, Spring 2017 – Fall 2017.
  • Valerie O. Curtis
    • Research Topic: Development of STEM Programs for Georgia Department of Transportation, Fall 2015.
  • Oreoluwa Ogunkanmi
    • Research Topic: Teaching-Learning Networks, Blended-Learning and Global Classrooms, Fall 2012.
  • Emma Bones
    • Research Topic: Applying Evidence-Based Design in Transportation, Fall 2010 – Spring 2011.
    • Publication: Bones, E. J., Barrella, E. M., and A. A. Amekudzi. 2013. Implementation of Evidence-Based Design Approaches in Transportation Decision Making. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 49, 317-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2013.01.017.
  • Laura Stahley
    • Research Topic: Case Studies on Best Practices in Transportation Sustainability, Spring – Summer 2010.
  • Sarah Friedrich
    • Research Topic: Sustainability in Transportation: The Australian Experience, Spring 2008.
  • Sandra Nava
    • Research Topic: Sustainability in Transportation: The European Experience, Spring 2008.
  • Jamie Montague
    • Research Topic: Transportation and Quality of Life, Fall 2007 – Spring 2009.
  • Y-Thao Truong
    • Research Topic: Sustainable Development Standards, Fall 2007.
  • Karen Wong
    • Research Topic: Strategic Infrastructure, Fall 2007.
  • Andrew Kohrs
    • Research Topic: Green Infrastructure Standards, Fall 2007.
  • Joseph Tiernan
    • Research Topic: Historical Review of Sustainable Development, Fall 2007.
  • Chris Puglisi
    • Research Topic: Transportation System Sustainability in Megacities, Fall 2005 – Summer 2006.
    • Conference Presentation: “Megacities and Transportation” at the First Annual Conference for Undergraduate Research, Clemson University, April 2006.
  • Ryan Weatherell
    • Research Topic: Sustainability Initiatives in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Oceania, Summer 2003.
  • Sarah Walker
    • Research Topic: Highway Finance and Cost Allocation/Defining and Measuring Transportation Sustainability: Data Availability, Fall 2002 – Summer 2003.
  • Creighton Lancaster
    • Research Topic: Valuation of Transportation Corridors/Transportation Improvements for Brownfield Developments, Summer – Fall 2001.
    • Publication: Amekudzi, A., Herabat, P., Wang, S., & Lancaster, C. (2002). Multipurpose Asset Valuation for Civil Infrastructure: Aligning Valuation Approaches with Asset Management Objectives and Stakeholder Interests. Transportation Research Record, 1812(1), 211-218. https://doi.org/10.3141/1812-26.
  • Danena Lewis
    • Research Topic: Critical Issues in Public Works Management in the State of Georgia, Fall 2002 (CEE Undergraduate Research Fellow).
  • Ashley Melvin
    • Research Topic: Sustainable Transportation Practices in Europe and Canada, Fall 2002.
  • Douglas Day
    • Research Topic: Selected Approaches for Funding and Financing Airport Projects, Summer 2001.