Contacts

Research Interests

• Asphalt binder and asphalt mixture modification
• Asphalt emulsions and emulsion-based technologies
• Hybrid polymer systems for enhanced pavement performance
• Incorporation of recycled and waste-derived materials in asphalt
• Mechanical performance evaluation of asphalt materials
• Chemical and thermal characterization of binders and mixtures
• Sustainable pavement materials and construction practices

Supervisor
Prof. Pejoohan Tavassoti

Research Interests: Multisensory integration (LiDAR, thermal, UAV imaging) for infrastructure analysis; deep learning in drainage, runoff, and flood modeling; climate-resilient pavement and stormwater design

Research Interests
Improving problematic pavement sub-grade soil using Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP)

Supervisors
Prof. Hassan Baaj, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Biography
Enthusiastic and academically accomplished, Melina Nazifi is a MASc student in Transportation Engineering at the University of Waterloo, supervised by Dr. Hassan Baaj and Dr. Kamelia Atefi Monfared.

Her research focuses on bio-mediated ground improvement, specifically microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP), and the performance of transportation infrastructure materials under varying environmental conditions.

She has maintained an 85% graduate average, reflecting strong technical proficiency. Melina completed her B.Sc. in Civil Engineering at Sharif University of Technology as the top-ranked student, receiving a formal plaque of distinction. She also conducted her undergraduate thesis on hydrological modeling and transboundary water resource systems. With over three terms of TA experience, she excels at communicating complex engineering concepts and fostering an inclusive learning environment.