With a passion for design, Grace Oyeyi always found herself drawn to the built environment.

While studying quantity surveying at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, she developed a strong interest in transportation and improving infrastructure. This inspired her to pursue further studies in Leeds, England, before continuing to Waterloo, Ont., where she specialized in sustainable transportation.

Now an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Windsor, Dr. Oyeyi focuses on developing smart, sustainable transportation infrastructure. Her research contributes to creating safer pavements and construction materials, supporting water-related ecosystems, and designing longer-lasting infrastructure. She plans to study how climate change impacts materials and pavement designs to build more resilient systems.

DailyNews will showcase the contributions and insights of members of the Black Scholars Institute leading up to its official launch on Sept. 26 and connected with Oyeyi to discuss her research goals and experience in civil and environmental engineering.

Q: Tell us about your research interests and what projects you’d like to pursue at the University of Windsor:

A: My research focuses on creating sustainable, smart, and durable transportation infrastructure, particularly pavements. At UWindsor, I intend to work on developing and assessing sustainable and smart materials and construction techniques, as well as designing accessible transportation systems for different user groups. Additionally, I will study how climate change affects materials and pavement designs, their resilience, and their adaptability to changing environmental conditions.

Q: Can you share a bit about your academic journey and what inspired you to pursue a career in civil engineering?

A: I’ve always been drawn to the built environment, with a passion for designing and creating things. This led me to pursue a degree in quantity surveying at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. During my studies, I developed a strong interest in improving transportation infrastructure, particularly roads, due to the poor conditions I saw, which inspired me to continue with a master’s degree in transportation planning and engineering at the University of Leeds.

It was during this program that I realized how crucial road transportation is to making cities competitive and accessible, sparking my focus on pavement research. This interest led me to complete a PhD in civil engineering with a specialization in transportation at the University of Waterloo, where I worked on designing, constructing, and evaluating sustainable and durable pavements. After my PhD, I continued as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo, working on pavement-related projects before joining the University of Windsor.

Q: What led you to become a part of the University of Windsor’s Black Scholars Institute?

A: Simple answer: I got the job! I want to make a difference and be a role model.

Q: Could you explain the significance of your work and research interests?

A: My research contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals. To outline them briefly, my work aims to:

• Develop sustainable pavement and construction materials that could reduce accidents and deaths due to hazardous chemicals (SDGs 3.6, 3.9).
• Develop and evaluate pavement and urban infrastructure materials that can aid in protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems (SDG 6.6).
• Develop quality, sustainable, and resilient pavements, and redesign them to provide longer lasting and smarter infrastructure, which contributes to upgrading and making infrastructure more sustainable (SDGs 9.1, 9.4).
• Evaluate the accessibility needs of varying transportation user groups to enhance the provision of safe, sustainable transport systems for all (SDG 11.2).
• Promote a circular economy by exploring reducing, reusing, and recycling construction and waste materials, aiding in the achievement of sustainable management and efficient natural resource use. Additionally, perform material impact evaluations to encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and integrate sustainability information into reporting (SDGs 12.2, 12.5, 12.6).
• Provide longer-lasting pavement infrastructure with updated designs and properties, strengthening their resilience and adaptability to climate hazards. Material and construction impact assessments from my research could also aid the integration of climate change into policies, considering the transformation in urban material production and consumption to reduce emissions (SDGs 13.1, 13.2).

Q: What do you believe are some of the most pressing challenges in your field today?

A: Some of the most pressing challenges in my research area include adapting infrastructure to the ever-changing climate. Another critical challenge is predicting infrastructure needs before they fail, allowing for more efficient maintenance. Developing smart pavements with self-sensing capabilities presents a promising solution, but this technology is still in its early stages and comes with significant cost implications.

Another major focus is incorporating new materials to improve sustainability and create smarter materials, which remains a complex challenge. Finding the right proportions and types of materials is key.

Enhancing the recycling of old pavements and reusing construction materials in new projects to reduce carbon footprints is another important area. However, there’s still resistance to using higher percentages of recycled materials, highlighting the need for evidence-based studies to validate their effectiveness.

Integrating social aspects into the lifecycle assessment of infrastructure designs and materials is an emerging area that requires further attention.

Q: In what ways do you hope your research will influence policy and development?

A: My goal is to perform innovative, cross-disciplinary research that leverages the views of multiple stakeholders. I hope to develop and use experimental and realistic field evaluation methods to understand pavement materials and design resilient transportation infrastructure that is economical, durable, and sustainable, ensuring evidence-based decision-making. This will encourage the uptake of new designs, methods, and materials, which will inform standards and policies.