Featured Graduate Student, March 2009
Aly Tawfik

Interview:

How would you describe your area of study to your grandmother?
Dearest Granny, Transportation Engineers are the reason we have traffic signals, and the reason these signals turn green when we approach them. They are also the reason buses, metros, ships, and airplanes have schedules. Furthermore, they are the ones responsible for designing freight operations and schedules. I know you might be thinking that Transportation Engineers are not doing that good of a job. We sometimes think the same, but dealing with humans is always very tough Granny. Humans never tend to behave the way we think they would, and even if we finally do think we have figured out the way humans behave, they change their behavior!

Do you think there is any value in social networking with other graduate students in non-related fields?
Absolutely! I find all sciences just fascinating. In addition to the valuable knowledge I learn from networking with others, I am a deep believer in the multidisciplinary nature of sciences. I believe that I (and everyone else) can learn and benefit a lot from others in non-related fields of science. Finally, I also believe that there is no such thing as a non-related science :)

What is your favorite stress-reduction technique?
Pursuing outdoor activities in the amazingly beautiful nature we are surrounded with. My wife and I are constantly looking for and pursuing different outdoor activities. Recently, we have just learned that a canopy track is going to open this Spring in West Virginia. We can't wait :)

What is the last book you read strictly for pleasure and how long ago was it?
Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture. I finished reading it last January. At the moment, I'm about to finish Malcolm Gladwell's, Outliers, and already bought and am planning to read Thomas Friedman's, Hot, Flat and Crowded.

Please describe your most meaningful academic relationship.
My relation with my advisor. I believe he is a true model of how an advisor should be. I'm always trying to observe his behavior and learn from his wisdom. I'm very grateful I had this chance of working with him. I have also been very fortunate to have met and worked with several other faculty members who have likewise taught me a lot.

What are your aspirations upon graduation?
I wish I could find a job as a tenured faculty member in a good university, and start my academic career: teaching, researching and outreaching. I have huge aspirations and a lot of plans. I hope I can achieve them.

What do you feel is the greatest challenge that graduate students face and how have you dealt with this challenge?
Time management! I think this is a HUGE challenge that we - graduate students - are not always well prepared to deal with. I think this is a venue the graduate school, or maybe the GSA or GSS, could help with. At the moment, I'm dealing with this challenge on a trial and error basis. I keep spreading myself too thin, drop some load, then spread myself again, and so on. It is a lot of fun!

What surprised you the most about graduate school?
The amount of knowledge that is out there. I have never imagined that there is so much more that I can learn. I have a HUGE appetite for learning and science - all sciences. Although I wish I could learn everything, I know this is -sadly- practically impossible. So, I'm always faced with the challenge of trying to hold down my enchanting desire for learning and try to focus on my work :(

How do you find balance between work, play, and your other non-academic responsibilities?
I don't. I just keep working until I can't function anymore. That's when I take a break. After the break, I return to work and,the cycle continues. My advisor thinks I always spread myself too thin. I believe he is right, but I also think that if I don't, I will end up doing much less.

If you hadn't been admitted to graduate school, what do you think you would be doing right now?
Applying for graduate school again and again and again :) ... “Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show you how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something bad enough. They are there to keep out the other people.” - Randy Pautsch

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