Lyles CCE graduate student Deepak Benny has been selected as an International Road Federation (IRF) Fellow for the Class of 2025. This prestigious class is a small group of graduate students selected from universities worldwide that received the fellowship from the IRF and Nex (an American Concrete Institute Center of Excellence) to participate in the 2025 Road Scholar Program, January 3–10, 2025, in Washington DC. Deepak is one of only three sponsored IRF Fellows that were selected. The program involves leadership training and networking opportunities with top professionals in the transportation sector and includes hosting by renowned institutions such as the World Bank, the Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Center, and IRF headquarters. He was nominated by Professor Samuel Labi.

The IRF Fellowship Program, established in 1949, has supported the professional development of over 1,440 students from 118 countries, advancing the mission of building safer and more efficient road networks. The program aims to develop future leaders in transportation engineering and policy, equipping them with the tools to create meaningful improvements in global transportation systems. For more details: https://www.irf.global/fellowships/