CEGE Alumnus Selected as Finalist for The Top 50 Women Leaders of Florida for 2025

The FAU Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering is excited to share that alumnus Ankitha Arvan, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE has been selected as a finalist for The Top 50 Women Leaders of Florida for 2025. This honor is presented by Women We Admire, a national organization that recognizes and connects outstanding women leaders across various industries. 

The final awardees will be featured in Women We Admire’s official publication this July, distributed to tens of thousands of professionals nationwide. Women We Admire (WWA) is a membership organization comprised of over 3,000 of the most accomplished women leaders in business, finance, healthcare and other fields such as law, consulting, education, non-profit, among others. Their digital publications are distributed to over 34,000 executives and professionals across industries. They will be announcing the award recognition article through their website, on social media, and through a press release in late July.

Ankitha Prakash Arvan, Ph.D. currently serves as Director of Research for Smart Infrastructure Group of Companies and formerly served as a Co-Director of Advanced Research and Technical Activities (Research Project Manager) at Florida International University’s Innovative Bridge Technologies/Accelerated Bridge Construction-University Transportation Center (IBT/ABC-UTC). With a strong background in Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, she is an active Associate Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), as well as a member of the ASCE Geo-Institute, Deep Foundations Institute (DFI), Florida Structural Engineers Association (FSEA), and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

About Dr. Ankitha Arvan:

Dr. Arvan brings over a decade of experience leading impactful research and strategic initiatives across academia and government sectors. Her expertise spans research design, project management, data analytics, digital transformation, and stakeholder engagement. She is known for effectively aligning data-driven strategies with institutional objectives, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and consistently delivering high-quality results.

Her doctoral work, which involved the application of Artificial Intelligence techniques, led to the development of GEOS© Version 1.0, a standalone geotechnical software that simplifies the analysis of complex soil-pile interaction models. Her research has been well-received within both academic and professional communities for its practical utility and accessibility.

Dr. Arvan was awarded the 2022 3MT Thesis Scholarship for her ability to effectively communicate complex research to a general audience. Her publications have earned multiple recognitions, including the 2023 ASCE State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award and inclusion in ASCE’s Special Collection for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of clean energy, innovation, sustainable infrastructure, and economic growth. Her contributions have also been featured on ASCE Kudos for advancing the UN SDGs. Most recently, she was named one of only five recipients nationwide of the 2024 Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) Professional Development Grant by DFI.