Alumna Profiled:
Graduated: Pierceʼ82
Lives in: Florida
Current Position: Director of the University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI), and the Barbara Goldsby Professor of Civil Engineering at UF.
Dr. Elefteriadou is the Director of the University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI), and the Barbara Goldsby Professor of Civil Engineering at UF. She is an internationally recognized expert on traffic flow theory, highway capacity, and traffic simulation, and she has published more than 200 journal articles and reports, as well as a textbook on these topics. She has received more than $25 million of funding from federal and state agencies in the US, and she has supervised approximately 70 Master and PhD students. She has received several awards for her research, including the 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers Harland Bartholomew Award, the 2015 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Ethel S. Birchland Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Fulbright Scholarship to perform research at the Technical University of Delft, Netherlands.
Dr. Elefteriadou received her Graduate Diploma in Surveying and Environmental Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, in June 1987. She received her MS in Civil Engineering from Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, in June 1990, and her PhD in Transportation Planning and Engineering from New York University (NYU), New York, in June 1994.
Dr. Elefteriadou is married and has a 14-year-old son.
Q&A
Q: What are three enduring values Pierce has taught you?
Friendship, love of learning, and the importance of discipline.
Q: Describe Pierce in three words.
Learning, friendship, diversity.
Q: Which is your fondest memory from your time at Pierce?
I remember one of our field trips during my third year at Pierce. I had three close friends and the four of us were quite mischievous, I am afraid!
Q: What do you miss most from your days at Pierce?
I miss hanging out with friends all day, particularly the lunch break.
Q: If you could go back in time, is there anything that you would do differently?
I don’t think so. On the one hand, I could have been more focused on school work, as my grades were typically average; on the other hand, it is important to enjoy the rest that life has to offer. Looking back now I believe I maintained a good balance between the two.
Q: Where was your favorite spot on campus?
I loved the library, I used to browse through the shelves and borrow books all the time.
Q: Who was your favorite teacher and why?
I liked Ms. Kanatselou very much. She was a caring, wonderful person and she made class enjoyable. I also have many fond memories of Ms. Marketos, she was my first English teacher and she was a great, high-energy and fun teacher.
Q: After graduation, have you maintained a relationship with your school and classmates?
Yes, I see several of my classmates when I visit Greece. I have even got together with a couple of them in the US. It has been a wonderful network, and I love catching up with them whenever possible.
Q: Looking back, how did your time at Pierce help you become the person you are today?
It provided me with a great education and it exposed me to a great variety of extracurricular activities. It gave me the opportunity to get involved in a variety of activities, from theater to sports, and I cherish the lifelong friendships I have from my time at Pierce.
Q: What advice would you give a new Pierce student?
Try to keep a balance between life and studies, take advantage of the extensive opportunities Pierce provides, make friends, and most of all enjoy it while it lasts!
Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?
? I have taken up running, which constantly challenges me, and gives me a different perspective on physical and mental effort. I am in awe of the human body and mind, and the connections between the two.
Q: What is your motto in life?
Keep an open mind and continue to learn.
ACG Alumni: We Stay Connected!