Social impacts and equity in pavement management

By Egemen Okte on 11/15/2026 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. in 1611 Titan Dr., Rantoul, IL 61866

Join Egemen Okte, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, as he presents in person at the Fall 2026 Kent Seminar Series on Thursday, November 5, from 2:00-2:50 p.m. (CT).

The Fall 2026 Kent Seminar will explore advances in transportation engineering modeling. The 13-speaker series will begin August 27 and end November 19. 

Pizza and soft drinks will be provided beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the ICT Classroom. 

All presentations will be held on Zoom, but some speakers will present in person at ICT.

Join Zoom Webinar:
https://illinois.zoom.us/j/81698798883?pwd=dlHgbqirs442ZcdQJoP4bhbeE1mqOq.1

Webinar ID: 816 9879 8883
Passcode: 664625

Abstract and Bio

Pavement management decisions have traditionally focused on infrastructure condition, economic analysis, and, more recently, environmental impacts. However, these decisions also affect people and communities in ways that are often understudied. This presentation explores how social impacts can be identified and quantified in pavement management, using a capability-based framework to connect infrastructure decisions with human well-being. The presentation discusses examples of impacts on road users and surrounding communities, with particular emphasis on social equity. It also introduces quantitative approaches for evaluating equity and demonstrates how equity considerations can inform pavement maintenance prioritization.

Okte is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on transportation infrastructure sustainability, sustainable pavement design and management, social sustainability and equity, and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to infrastructure performance prediction. He earned a doctorate in civil engineering in 2022 and a master's degree in civil engineering in 2018 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 2015 from Middle East Technical University in Türkiye.