The Grainger College of Engineering
Illinois Center for Transportation

Bittersweet goodbyes: Bright futures await UIUC's Hasan Ozer and Jaime Hernandez

8/1/2019 Emily Jankauski

Opportunities arise bringing bittersweet goodbyes.

ICT Director Imad Al-Qadi, center, bids farewell to two leading researchers Hasan Ozer, left, and Jaime Hernandez, who will go on to teach at Arizona State University and Marquette University, respectively. The two couldn’t help but grin at the kind remarks shared by UIUC students and staff during their farewell barbecue on July 26.

Last month Illinois Center for Transportation bid farewell to two of its monumental leaders — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research assistant professor Hasan Ozer and post-doctorate research associate Jaime Hernandez. Ozer is set to become an associate professor at Arizona State University and Hernandez can’t wait to start his new gig as an assistant professor at Marquette University.

Combined the two have put in more than two decades of service helping dozens of UIUC Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate students make their dreams a reality.

The sendoff included well wishes by students and colleagues alike as well as tasty barbecue from ICT’s grill master and senior sustainability implementation engineer David Lippert.

It wouldn’t be a proper goodbye, however, without words of gratitude from ICT Director and UIUC CEE Professor Imad Al-Qadi.

“Jaime and I became very, very close through our laughs and jokes and travel,” he said, “but something that always amazes me is that he always has a smile on his face.”

“I have no doubt that you (Jaime) will be very, very successful,” Al-Qadi added. “I treasure our friendship.”

As for Hasan, Al-Qadi said his impeccable leadership with the students only “flourished” at ICT.

“His leadership will not stop here,” he added, “because a true leader is someone who continuously gives of his time to others. That has been very clear in Hasan’s service to his profession.”

He also noted that he would miss his utter “commitment” to the program “sending emails at 2 o’clock or 3 o’clock in the morning,” Al-Qadi said with a laugh.

Kidding aside, Al-Qadi only had high praises to sing when it came to discussing Ozer’s work.

“You will do great there,” he said. “Your accomplishments at the professional level are great. At the personal level, you are just an amazing person, and everyone who knows you likes you.”

All in all, UIUC’s leading transportation research facility’s director couldn’t be more excited for the two and the very bright futures that await them.

“We are very, very proud of both of you guys.”