Graduate student receives Airport Cooperative Research Program award

Shafkatbin Jafar, a Washington State University graduate student, has been awarded the Airport Cooperative Research Program graduate research award.

He is thought to be the first-ever WSU recipient of the prestigious award from the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and one of only about 12 recipients nationwide. The program, sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration, focuses on applied research on airport and related aviation system issues to improve the quality, reliability, and safety of the U.S. civil aviation system in the future.

As part of the award, Jafar, who is enrolled in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will receive a $12,000 stipend and have the opportunity to present his work at the Transportation Research Board's annual meeting in January. The work may also be submitted for publication.

"Being recognized for your work is incredibly uplifting-it boosts your confidence and motivates you to keep pushing forward," he said. "I feel deeply honored and fortunate to contribute to WSU's legacy."

At WSU, Jafar studies pavement engineering under Professor Haifang Wen. In his work, he is studying how to make use of recycled materials such as reclaimed asphalt pavement, reclaimed asphalt shingles, and foamed glass aggregate. His research also emphasizes using by-products in asphalt pavement.

"Winston Churchill once said, 'Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage that counts,' and I learn this lesson every day since joining Washington State University," he said. "My experience made me realize that achieving a PhD is not a solo task - it's truly a team effort."