ICT student spotlight: Saleh Yousefi

Saleh Yousefi will be graduating from University of Illinois in June 2017 with a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering with a dissertation entitled, “Validation of Hot-Poured Crack Sealant Performance-Based Guidelines.” His advisor is ICT director Imad Al-Qadi.

While at ICT, Saleh has worked on the project “Evaluating the Effects of Various Asphalt Binder Additives/Modifiers on Moisture Sensitivity in HMA” (R27-078) where he learned “how to understand real world needs and to design a framework with a practical outcome.” He also learned to work with industry and departments of transportation, while also honing his skills in transferring research to a practical report. “There is still a lot to learn,” says Saleh. “The materials field is evolving very quickly, and I need to keep myself up-to-date.”

Saleh’s favorite part of his work was the diverse group of people he worked with. He says that he learned a lot about other graduate students’ cultures, in addition to gaining their insight from their diverse research interests when facing a problem. Saleh’s main research interests are bituminous material and rheology. He is interested in investigating the aging of modified asphalt using new chemical and mechanical techniques at micro and macro scales. His other research interests include chemo-mechanical characterization of modified asphalt binder, asphalt mastic properties, pavement maintenance and preservation techniques, and pavement management systems.

Saleh received his B.S. degree from the University of Tehran in Iran in 2008 and his MS from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Outside of his work, he enjoys traveling, volleyball, soccer, reading, movies, and politics.