Welcome to the new student in our group! (01/11/2026)
We are excited to warmly welcome our new student, Mohammad Alomari! Mohammad is beginning his master’s program in Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNL, where he will be researching the use of fibers to reinforce concrete. Have a great start Mohammad!
Visit at the University of Maryland (01/13/2026)
This year, we had the opportunity to visit the University of Maryland at the invitation of Prof. Jongwan Eun. We exchanged ideas with his research group, toured the materials laboratories and campus, and even touched the turtle’s nose for good luck. Thank you for hosting us, Dr. Eun!
Taisa's Presentation at TRB Annual Meeting (01/14/2026)
Taísa presented her work titled “Exploring the Stabilization Potential of Electric Arc Furnace Slag in Silty Soils through Multifaceted Micro- and Meso-Scale Characterization” at TRB in a lecture session. It was her first podium presentation, and she did a fantastic job!
Nitish’s Presentation at the TRB Annual Meeting (01/13/2026)
Nitish also presented his poster titled “Low-Temperature Cracking Performance Evaluation of RAP-Recycled Asphalt Mixtures to Support Balanced Mix Design in Cold Regions” at the TRB. Nice job, Nitish!
Farzad Poster Presentation on TRB (01/12/2026)
Farzad presented his work titled “Preliminary Calibration of a Long-Term Aging Procedure for Highly Recycled Asphalt Mixtures Based on Asphalt Material’s Mechanical, Rheological, and Chemical Parameters” at the TRB 2026 Annual Meeting. It was great to see the development of his research in this conference!
UNL and UMD in Dakota City for site visit (12/09/2025)
UNL (Dr. Song, Dr. Teixeira, and PhD students Farzad and Dhurba) and UMD (Dr. Eun, Dr. Yuan, and PhD student Usama), the collaborative team for the NDOT Geogrid Project, met this week at Dakota City-NE to map the pre-rehabilitated condition of our experimental sections. Special thanks to Matthew Park, NDOT pavement engineer, who accompanied us throughout the visit. It was a very productive site visit and an excellent meeting to discuss the next steps of this unique project!🤩👷🏽🚧
End of the year Celebration (12/06/2025)
We celebrated our traditional Holiday Party with the IMPAR team, another beautiful opportunity to honor all the achievements of 2025. So many wonderful milestones marked the lives of each group member, and this gathering was the perfect way to celebrate together. We wish everyone a happy end of the year! 🎉
Outreach event at Norris High School (11/21/2025)
We visited the Norris High School and share a little bit about pavement engineering for the students. Norris students are awesome and truly reflect the great work that Katy Dornbos do in her science class! Thanks again to my students Taísa Medina and Nitish R. Bastola, for all their help, from preparing this hands-on activity to conducting the sessions!
Farzad's Comprehensive Exam (11/19/2025)
Farzad Yazdipanah has officially advanced to Ph.D. candidacy after successfully completing his comprehensive exam! Farzad presented his Ph.D. proposal entitled “A Coupled Experimental–Numerical Framework for Performance-Driven Mix Design of RAP-Recycled Asphalt Mixtures Incorporating Aging-Induced Effects”. Congratulations!
Dr. Teixeira won the Faculty SLAM competition (11/20/2025)
Dr. Teixeira won the top prize at the Faculty Slam with her talk on turning waste plastic into roads! 🎉 She shared the stage with Department Chair Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, making it a proud moment for our team in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNL.
SWANA Conference (11/05/2025)
Dr. Teixeira presented at SWANA 2025 in Kearney, Nebraska! It was inspiring to see such an engaged audience, especially through the thoughtful questions following the talk. These interactions reflect our shared commitment to sustainable development and diverting waste from landfills. Thank you to the SWANA committee for the invitation to speak about this important pilot project for Nebraska!
APWA Conference (10/02/2025)
Technology transfer in action. Sharing our Nebraska First Plastic Road Pilot Project with the American Public Works Association (APWA) Iowa Chapter 2025 Fall Conference in Des Moines, IA. Huge thanks to Isabella for all the effort in developing the mixing procedure and verifying the performance of both lab- and plant-produced plastic mixtures!
Poster Presentation at the National Slag Association Annual Meeting (09/15/2025)
Taísa presented her work titled “Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Electric Arc Furnace and Caster Slags and Their Potential for Soil Stabilization” at the National Slag Association Annual Meeting. She earned second place in the poster competition! Congratulations, Taísa!
Isabella's and Amasi's Graduation Day (08/16/2025)
Congratulations to Isabella and Amasi on earning their Master of Science (M.S.) degrees! After a long journey filled with dedication and accomplishments, both have achieved this important milestone. Isabella will continue at UNL to pursue her PhD, while Amasi has begun her career at the Nebraska Department of Transportation. We’re so proud of you both! Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement!
Undergraduate Students in the COE and UNL Summer Research Symposium (08/05/2025)
Our two summer program students presented their final projects at the symposium! Since the beginning of the summer, they have shown incredible dedication, learning new concepts, overcoming challenges, and putting in consistent effort. Their presentations are the result of hard work and commitment. One of our students, Savannah Soto, joined us all the way from The Pennsylvania State University to be part of this experience. We're proud of everything they accomplished!
Nitish’s Presentation at the Petersen Conference (07/17/2025)
Nitish represented our team at one of the biggest conferences in the field of asphalt binders, the Petersen Conference! Congratulations on another great presentation, Nitish Bastola! Keep pushing forward, research only makes an impact when it’s shared with the community!
Isabella's Master’s Thesis Defense (07/28/2025)
We’re thrilled to share that Isabella Bueno has successfully completed her master’s thesis! Her research, titled “Evaluation of Waste Plastic Addition via Dry Method on Asphalt Mixture Performance,” marks an important contribution to sustainable pavement materials. Congratulations, Isabella!
Amasi's Master’s Thesis Defense (07/11/2025)
Our IMPAR member, Amasi Hajahja, successfully defended her master’s thesis! Her research, titled “Feasibility of Using Waste Plastic in Concrete Pavements in Nebraska,” explored the potential of incorporating waste plastic as fine aggregates or reinforcing fibers in concrete. It was a major experimental effort, and thanks to Amasi’s determination and dedication, she gave it her all. Congratulations, Amasi!
2025 Asphalt Institute Kirk Scholarship Award
We are proud to recognize Farzad Yazdipanah as a recipient of the Kirk Scholarship, a prestigious award presented by the Asphalt Institute Foundation. This scholarship supports exceptional students pursuing careers in civil engineering, construction, and related fields, with a focus on advancing the future of asphalt and infrastructure. We’ll deserved award, Farzad!
Opening ceremony of the first asphalt pavement with recycled plastic in Nebraska (06/11/2025)
Our research group attended the opening ceremony of the first asphalt pavement in Nebraska incorporating recycled grocery bags. This groundbreaking project was a collaboration between UNL and key stakeholders, including the Nebraska Department of Transportation, Sioux City Freedom Park, JEO Consulting Group, First Star Recycling, and the City of Sioux City.
Taisa Medina Qualify Examination (06/24/2025)
Milestone alert! Congrats to our ÍMPAR member Taisa Medina for successfully passing her qualifying examination. This is an important step in her PhD journey and we are super happy for her achievement! Way to go, Taisa! 🤩
ASCE ICTD 2025 and ASCE Pavements 2025 in Glendale, Arizona (06/11/2025)
Another conference checked for our IMPAR team member Farzad Yazdipanah. Farzad presented the work titled “Balanced Mix Design for Highly Recycled Asphalt Mixtures: Laboratory and Field-Testing in Nebraska”, co-author with Dr. Hamzeh Haghshenas, with great outcomes from our collaborative Nebraska Balance Mix Design Project, funded by NDOT! 🤩
NSF-REU Student - Summer 2025
Savannah Soto, a freshman student in the Environment Engineering program from Pennsylvania State University, joined us this summer as part of her NSF-REU internship. She working with Taisa Medina on the slag research. Welcome, Savannah!
UNL UCARE Student Summer 2025
Bell Eurek has been with our group since May and received a UCARE award to deepen her knowledge in concrete mix design and performance evaluation. She is working with Amasi Hajahaja on our plastic in concrete research project. Keep up, Bell!
European Asphalt Technology Association (EATA) 2025 Conference (06/10/2025)
Dr. Teixeira attended the EATA 2025 and RILEM Meetings in Ancona, Italy.
EMI 2025 (06/02/2025)
This week, two of our IMPAR team members, Farzad Yazdipanah and Nitish Bastola, presented their work at the Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) Conference. Way to go, team! 🤩
COE Engament Fellows at Rural Tour Nebraska
Dr. Teixeira and her three other fellow participants from the COE Engagement Fellow’s Program embarked on a rural tour across five selected Nebraska Rural communities.
Nitish’s Comprehensive Examination (05/19/2025)
Huge congratulations to Nitish Bastola for passing his comprehensive examination and officially becoming a Ph.D. candidate! Way to go, Nitish!!!
Outreach Event (05/08/2025)
We welcomed a group of Girl Scouts to the lab! What a fun and inspiring evening explaining what civil engineers do, the different areas within the field, and why our work is so important to society. Toward the end, we talked about the various materials used to build structures, followed by a hands-on activity: “Make Your Own Concrete!” I asked them, “Do you want to be a MasterChef or a MatterChef?” To our delight, they excitedly replied, “A MatterChef!”! What a fun evening!
CIVE 371 Final Project - Spring 2025 Class (05/05/2025)
Once again, the CIVE 371 course (taught by Dr. Teixeira) concluded with an outstanding showcase of student learning at the Symposium on Sustainable Construction Materials. Our graduate students had the opportunity to develop their mentoring skills by advising individual groups on the development of their final projects. It’s a win-win for both undergraduate and graduate students’ professional development. Great job, everyone!
Dr. Teixeira received the 2025 COE Distinguished New Faculty Teaching Award (04/18/2025)
Dr. Teixeira receive from Dean Perez the Henry Y. Kleinkauf Family Distinguished New Faculty Teaching Award at the 2025 COE Employee Awards Ceremony.
Woman of Courage, Character, and Commitment Award (03/27/2025)
Dr. Teixeira received the Woman of Courage, Character, and Commitment Award! Her dedication to the university and her students was rightfully recognized. Dr. Teixeira has been shaping future engineers with ethics, commitment, and responsibility. A well-deserved honor! Congratulations, Dr. Teixeira!
Farzad Yazdipanah received the 2025-2026 Dean’s Fellowship (03/27/2025)
In recognition of Farzad’s outstanding academic performance and scholarly potential, the UNL Graduate Fellowship Committee has recommended him to be awarded the Dean’s Fellowship for the 2025- 2026 academic year. Congratulations Farzad, and best wishes for continuing success at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
COE Graduate Symposium (02/21/2025)
Amasi presented her work on the effects of ultra-high molecular weight waste plastic as aggregates in concrete fresh and mechanical properties during the CoE Graduate Symposium. Nice work Amasi!
Taisa Medina and Isabella Bueno received the Othmer Fellowship from the UNL Office of Graduate Studies (02/15/2025)
Two members of our group, Isabella Bueno and Taisa Medina, were selected to be the recipients of the Othmer Fellowship in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Othmer Fellowships are intended to assist in recruiting exceptional scholars who are seeking a terminal degree. Keep up the great work, girls!
GeoOmaha Conference (02/07/2025)
Our PhD student, Taísa Medina, presented her ongoing research at the GeoOmaha Conference with the title "Exploring the Potential of Electric Arc Furnace Slag as Paving Material: A Literature Review and Preliminary Characterization." Great job, Taísa!
Nebraska Asphalt Pavement Conference (02/04/2025)
Our group was invited to participate and speak at the Nebraska Asphalt Pavement Conference, hosted by the Nebraska Department of Transportation. This marks the second year our team has represented and showcased our research at this event. It’s an honor to be part of such an important gathering in our own state!
Outreach Event (01/30/2025)
We welcomed students from Norris High School’s Chemistry and Advanced Chemistry classes to our Materials Lab! It’s always amazing to host them and showcase our research to future engineers!
TRB Conference (01/06/2025)
Our group attended the TRB Annual Meeting 2025 to present our posters at the world’s largest transportation conference. It was an incredible opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field and connect with professionals doing amazing work. We are excited with the beginning of this great year!
Teixeira’s Research Group 2024 Holiday Party (12/12/2024)
Our end-of-year celebration was filled with gratitude and togetherness. 2024 was an amazing year for our group, and this gathering was the perfect way to honor it!
Seminar Talk - Visiting Scholar from TRAMA/UFC (12/06/2024)
Our visiting scholar, Larissa Ribas, presented her research progress from the past six months spent with our group. Prof. Veronica Castelo Branco and her mates from TRAMA joined us virtually to celebrate Larissa’s achievements.
Guess Speaker at CIVE 891 (11/18/2024)
Dr. Flavio Souza from Siemens Digital Industries visit at our lab. He also delivered an excellent lecture in CIVE891 course about Multiscale Modeling.
CEE Scholarship Banquet (10/11/2024)
Our group members, Nitish Bastola, Kaylee Cunning, and Joseph Tighi, were some of the awardees during the CEE Scholarship Banquet. Congrats!
Outreach Event (10/10/2024)
We welcomed students from Creighton Omaha Prep to our CEE Materials Lab! It was an incredible experience showcasing our equipment and materials.
NSA Annual Conference (09/16/2024)
Dr. Teixeira was an invited speaker at the National Slag Association Annual Conference and presented her research on Advancing Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure: The Role of Slag in Enhancing Soil and Asphalt Mixture’s Performance.
ASEE Midwest Conference (09/08/2024)
Our undergraduate research student, Kaylee Cunning, presented her work on the use of grain bags rural waste plastics and the UCARE impact in her career trajectory at the ASEE Midwest Conference hosted by the Kansas University. She received one award as the 2nd best student paper! We are so proud of you, Kaylee!
AAPT 100th Year (09/10/2024)
Nitish Bastola presented his work on Low-Temperature Cracking Resistance of Recycled Mixtures at the AAPT conference in Chicago. Congratulations Nitish for your amazing work!
PhD crew lunch (08/08/2024)
Our group enjoying lunch together after successfully working on the relocation of our equipments from the old lab to the new place! Teamwork paid off!
COE Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium (08/05/2024)
Kaylee Cunning presenting her poster at the Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium. She did an outstanding job!
Outreach Event (06/24/2024)
We welcomed students from the Sovereign Native Youth STEM Leadership Academy to our lab. It was a pleasure to showcase our research and share how things work at our university!
TEIXEIRA’S Research Team (07/23/2024)
Our group got together for an updated photo! We love to see the diversity of our group! Together we are stronger!
First Lunch Together (06/16/2024)
Our lunch to kick off the summer. These moments together mean so much to us!
ASCE NE Section Scholarship Banquet (06/18/2024)
Nitish Bastola received the Transportation Engineers Fellowship from ASCE, and of course, everyone was there to celebrate with him!
CIVE 371 Final Project (05/18/2024)
Students from the CIVE 371 course (taught by Dr. Teixeira) showcased their learning at UNL’s First Symposium on Sustainable Construction Materials. Our team served as mentors helping the undergraduates on the development of their final projects! Great job, everyone!
ISAP Conference (06/03/2024)
Isabella presented her poster titled "Enhancing Asphalt Concrete Cracking, Rutting, and Moisture Damage Resistance Through Dry Method Addition of Polypropylene Waste Plastic" at the international conference ISAP in Montreal, Canada. We are so proud of you, Isabella!
Dr. Teixeira BDAY celebration (05/05/2024)
We invited Dr. Teixeira to celebrate her birthday with us through a group painting activity! It was such a fun and creative time spent together in her honor.