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CR2C2 Students Participates in the 2025 NC ITE
Annual Meeting
The Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2) was well represented at the 2025 North Carolina Section of Institute of Transportation Engineers Annual Meeting, held November 19–20, 2025, at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. The annual conference convened transportation professionals, researchers, and students from across the state for a dynamic program of technical sessions, research presentations, and student competitions.
Students from North Carolina A&T State University played an active and visible role throughout the event, demonstrating both technical expertise and leadership. A highlight of student engagement was participation in the annual Traffic Bowl competition, where the NC A&T team—Daniyah Crawford, Neil Deshpande, and Kayla Stevens—delivered an impressive performance across categories including roadway safety, North Carolina highway systems, and traffic operations.
CR2C2-affiliated students and faculty also contributed to several research presentations that showcased innovative, data-driven approaches to transportation challenges. Komal Gulati and Dr. Venktesh Pandey presented “Truck Parking Solutions Using Reservation and Facility Location: A North Carolina Case Study,” offering a framework to improve truck parking availability across the state. In another session, Ali Gorji-Sefidmazgi, Komal Gulati, and Dr. Pandey presented “Assessing Essential Service Accessibility and Resilience Following Hurricane Helene: A Parcel-Level Analysis of Recovery Patterns in Western NC,” highlighting findings from a CR2C2-funded study focused on post-disaster recovery and accessibility.
Additionally, Mohammad Ashraf Ali presented “A Multidisciplinary Approach to Customer Service Evaluation in State Transportation Systems,” a collaborative project funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and developed in partnership with NC A&T and North Carolina State University.
The conference also served as a platform to recognize student excellence. Daniyah Crawford, a senior in Civil Engineering and President of the ITE Student Chapter, received the prestigious 2025 Cyrus Painter Memorial Scholarship. Senior Andre Flores-Fletes was awarded the 2025 Brent McKinney Honorary Scholarship. The NC A&T Student Chapter of ITE—advised by Dr. Venktesh Pandey—earned the 2025 Paul F. Cribbins Award for Outstanding Student Chapter, marking a repeat win and underscoring the chapter’s sustained excellence. Additionally, Komal Gulati was recognized with the 2025 Emily Blount Honorary Scholarship.
Overall, the conference provided CR2C2 students with valuable opportunities to engage in professional networking, deepen their technical knowledge, and contribute to advancing transportation innovation across North Carolina.
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