Roads Scholars program enters sophomore year
The National Center for Asphalt Technology welcomed two new scholars in program’s second year.
The asphalt pavement industry, led by the NAPA Research & Education Foundation, raised $3 million for a new initiative at Auburn University that supports graduate students pursuing pavement studies.
The five members of the inaugural class were joined this year by Matthew Kmetz and Mohammad Sadeghi. NAPA Quarterly sought out the two newest members for thoughts on the industry, the scholarship program, and their career aspirations.
Meet the newest Roads Scholars
WHAT WAS IT THAT FIRST LED YOU TO CONSIDER CONTINUING YOUR STUDIES AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY, HOME OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ASPHALT TECHNOLOGY (NCAT)?
Matthew Kmetz: As a senior in high school, when touring universities in and around the state of Georgia, I attended the “E-Day” event hosted by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering that showcased the state of the art facilities and excellent faculty and students at Auburn.
Mohammad Sadeghi: I completed my Master’s degree in Civil Engineering in a highly competitive Road and Pavement program, where I was first introduced to the work of NCAT through coursework and research activities. During that time, I became familiar with NCAT’s contributions to the field, particularly through their widely recognized textbook on asphalt mixtures, which I studied extensively. Reading that material and learning about NCAT’s cutting-edge research sparked my interest in pursuing advanced studies at Auburn University. The combination of strong academic foundations and impactful, real-world research made NCAT an ideal environment for me to continue developing my expertise in pavement engineering.
HOW HAS WORKING ALONGSIDE NCAT’S RESEARCH-MINDED FACULTY GIVEN YOU KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE MISSED OUT ON IN A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM APPROACH?
“Traditional classroom learning often cannot fully capture the dynamic and evolving nature of asphalt materials and pavement engineering. These materials are highly complex, and our understanding of their behavior is continuously refined through laboratory experiments and field performance.
At NCAT, faculty and researchers are directly involved in cutting-edge research and industry collaboration. Insights gained from field observations, especially from the NCAT Test Track and partner facilities, are continuously integrated into classroom instruction. This creates a unique learning environment where theory and practice are closely connected.
Working alongside leading researchers has allowed me to engage in real-world problem-solving, stay current with industry trends, and contribute to ongoing research efforts that go far beyond what a traditional classroom alone can offer.”
– Mohammad Sadeghi, 2026 Roads Scholar
Working alongside NCAT’s research staff has afforded me the opportunity to engage in high-profile research efforts at the NCAT Test Track, as well as contribute to vital elements of the most recent NCAT Test Track rebuild, including each of the new test sections that incorporate structural instrumentation.
– Matthew Kmetz, 2026 Roads Scholar
Read the full article from NAPA Quarterly.
NCAT ENHANCES VIRTUAL LEARNING OPTIONS
The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) From Research to Implementation Webinar Series continues to bring the top voices in pavement academia together for in-depth dives into the industry’s hottest topics.
Now the experience is free for everyone. The move to no-charge knowledge means the monthly webinars, set for the third Thursday, are free to even non-sponsors of the Test Track.
LEARN IN LESS THAN TWO MINUTES
NCAT is tweaking another education product to make it more accessible: its Training in Your Pocket video series is now compressing its technical know-how into shorts, most of them offering practical tips in 90 seconds.
