Purpose
Student assistance for Michigan university students at Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Michigan Technological University, and Western Michigan University has been ongoing since 1989. It consists of:
- Student Paper – Started in 1989 with one $100 winner. It has grown to a first place award of $500, and a second place award of $300.
- Scholarships – The first scholarship was awarded in 1992 to Martin Kane for $500. The Section now awards six, $2,500 scholarships, annually.
The money for all of this assistance comes from the Michigan Section Golf Tournament that is held annually in May, and through the generous donations of the Michigan Section members.
Eligibility
Applicant for Scholarship must currently be a student member in International ITE and the Michigan Section. Applicant must be enrolled in a Michigan university with an active ITE chapter.
Award
Award will consist of acknowledgement at a section meeting and Michigan ITE newsletter as well as a personalized recognition certificate, which will be presented at a Michigan ITE section meeting each year.
Procedure
Applicant must independently write a one-page (double spaced) paper on:
“My future in Transportation”
Applicant must submit the completed form and paper to a Professor, or Student Chapter Advisor (must be an ITE Member). The Professor or Advisor will review the applicant’s form for accuracy, complete the Professor / Advisor form, and send both forms and the paper to Chair of the Michigan Section Education-Scholarship Committee.
The following documents must be included in each submission:
- Scholarship Application
- Applicant’s Paper
- Applicant’s Resume
- Professor / Advisor Form
- Headshot Photo
- Short (less than 150 words) Biography
Applications are due October 24th, 2025.
Please send submission electronically as PDF to Tim Haagsma – thaagsma@kentcountyroads.net
Resources
2024 Scholarship Winners
Magdalena Cavka – Michigan State University
Magdalena Cavka is a third-year PhD student at Michigan State University, with a major in Civil Engineering, focused on Transportation Engineering. When pursuing Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Faculty of Transportation and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia she worked as a student intern for four years and one year as an Associate Expert at the Department of Traffic Signaling at Faculty of Transportation and Traffic Sciences. She is currently working as a Research Assistant at the Department of Transportation, College of Engineering at Michigan State University. Her focus is traffic safety, vulnerable road participants, traffic signage, and innovative speed warning technologies. She is currently a Secretary of the ITE Michigan State University Chapter.
Violet (Yun-Chu) Hung – Michigan Technological University
Yun-Chu Hung is a PhD student in the Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) department at Michigan Technological University. Her research interests cover Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV), and Transportation Network Modeling. In collaboration with Dr. Kuilin Zhang, she contributed to multiple research projects funded by MDOT, FRA, and DOE, showing her dedication to advancing transportation technology. In 2023, she took the initiative to start the ITE Student Chapter at Michigan Technological University and was appointed Vice President. In this role, she actively connected with students and advocated for women’s leadership in transportation. With education, innovation, and community involvement, she believes they will bring out a significant change in transportation.
Sagar Keshari – Michigan State University
Sagar Keshari is a PhD candidate and Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University. He was the President of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), MSU student chapter committee in 2022 and Treasurer in 2021/22. He is also a student member of International ITE and the Michigan Section.
He is involved with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), and other national agencies in various projects, including the Evaluation of bridge deck winter weather warning systems, Improving the effectiveness of speed feedback trailers in freeway work zones and Effect of centrelines on prevailing traffic speeds on low-speed, two-lane, two-way roads in urban contexts. He is also involved in annual statewide observation surveys on seatbelt and mobile device use in Michigan. His research interests cover topics in traffic operation and safety, traffic control devices, and vulnerable road user safety.
Diana Al-Nabulsi – Western Michigan University
Diana Al-Nabulsi is a dedicated PhD student in Civil and Construction Engineering at Western Michigan University, where she also serves as the president of the university’s ITE student chapter. Her leadership in the ITE chapter demonstrates her passion for fostering collaboration, innovation, and professional growth among her peers.
In addition to her academic and leadership roles, Diana is gaining practical experience as a data analyst intern, where she applies data-driven insights to address real-world challenges. This hands-on experience further strengthens her analytical capabilities and complements her research work.
Diana’s PhD research focuses on integrating transportation engineering with cutting-edge technologies, such as machine learning, data analytics, and traffic simulation, to predict traffic analysis trends and develop innovative solutions to the transportation challenges of today—particularly in the realm of public transportation. Her multi-faceted approach highlights her
commitment to advancing the field of transportation engineering and finding effective solutions to real-world problems.
With her solid foundation in civil engineering, valuable teaching experience, and practical expertise in data analysis, Diana is well-positioned to make a lasting impact on the future of public transportation.
Justin Kreps – Western Michigan University
Justyn Kreps is an intern at the Kent County Road Commission at the Central Complex within the engineering department to design and develop plans. Justyn’s work has developed since his start in 2019 into providing not only design plans of roadways, but also includes the creation of retaining walls, sidewalks/HMA non-motorized trails, major culvert design, and detour plans associated with the projects. Some of these projects include the total reconstruction of 100th Street from Patterson Avenue to Kraft Avenue, and 68th Street from Kraft Avenue to Cherry Valley Avenue. Since 2019, Justyn has also been taking classes at Western Michigan University. He started pursuing aerospace engineering, but after 1-year decided to pursue his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. With his planning skills, he is nearing completion of his education which is projected to be in late April of 2025.
Norran Novat -Western Michigan University
Norran Novat is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Civil Engineering with a focus in Transportation at Western Michigan University. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania. Beginning in Spring 2025, Norran will also be enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Civil Engineering at Western Michigan University. He has two years of industry experience and currently serves as a Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant at the Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities (TRCLC) Lab. His research focuses on non-motorized safety, intelligent transportation systems, and traffic simulation, with four peer-reviewed publications to date. Norran is also the Vice-President of the ITE Student Chapter (2024-2025) and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) at Western Michigan University.