Lior Melnick is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Transportation Planning and Engineering at New York University. The program stresses the design of transportation systems with an in-depth understanding of the public policies and economic forces that drive them as well as the safety of such systems and their ability to meet the public's needs. Lior received a Bachelor Degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in Architecture. While pursuing his Master’s Degree, he is working part-time with VHB in New York City (formerly Eng-Wong, Taub, and Associates). Prior to his work with VHB, Lior worked for LiRo Engineers in their role in New York State’s Hurricane Sandy reconstruction project. He is very interested in resiliency efforts in transportation, and is passionate about upgrading and designing transportation infrastructure so as to survive severe natural disasters and facilitate the recovery of impacted regions. Through this scholarship, Lior’s graduate studies will help him refine and expand on the skills he acquires through his work, and introduce him to a wide range of transportation topics and issues. His degree will provide him with the theoretical knowledge as well as practical training that will ultimately help him succeed as a professional transportation engineer. Furthermore, this scholarship will provide him with the opportunity to conduct research with esteemed faculty, and to delve deeply into his passion for transportation resiliency.