Ms. Kasubi’s research focuses on traffic operations to mitigate the impact of traffic incidents and improve freeway safety. As a Graduate Research Assistant at FIU’s Lehman Center for Transportation Research, Ms. Kasubi is currently working on Integrated Corridor Management on Limited Access Facilities: A Case Study of I-95, which is also her dissertation. This project aims at creating a decision support system to optimize the existing Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) strategies, thereby reducing congestion, improving travel time reliability, mitigating crashes, and enhancing the overall user experience. Additionally, she is contributing to the Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC) Dispatchers and Operations project aimed at equipping the department with the information and resources to improve the operations of the RTMCs. She was also the lead researcher on a research project that compared the performance of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology with the existing traffic monitoring technologies in Miami, Florida.
In her two years at the Lehman Center, Ms. Kasubi has participated in and led Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and TSMO projects, developing her understanding of transportation challenges and potential solutions that will improve operations and enhance safety. Her master’s thesis examined the benefits of connected vehicle technologies during freeway incidents and the implementation of diversion strategies on the Florida Turnpike, further igniting her passion for discovering how connected vehicles can help prevent incidents and improve safety and mobility.
Ms. Kasubi actively participates in several extracurricular activities. She is very active and has taken leadership roles in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Florida Engineering Society (FES), American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). She served as the team captain for Audrey's Temporary Traffic Control Competition during the ASCE Student Symposium and as a Technical Paper Advisor during the 2022/23/24 Concrete Canoe Competition. Ms. Kasubi also authored the Professional Paper for the 2023 Student Symposium on behalf of the FIU ASCE student chapter, and they secured 2nd place. She volunteered in the ASCE Miami-Dade Field Day and ASCE Miami-Dade Branch 46th Annual Awards & Installation Ceremony. She also serves as the President of the FIU-FES Student Chapter and Vice President of the FIU-AISC Student Chapter for 2023/24. Under her leadership, these chapters focused on collaborating with the other student chapters within and outside FIU. Her graduate advisor, Dr. Priyanka Alluri, had this to say about her:
Francisca is not just a scholar; she is a beacon of inspiration and a role model, particularly for young, underrepresented girls in STEM fields. Her humility, intelligence, diligence, and unwavering commitment to volunteering and community service make her an exemplary candidate for this scholarship.
Ms. Kasubi received a Bsc. in Civil Engineering from Ardhi University in her native Tanzania in 2017 and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of North Florida in 2021. She is on track to receive her Ph.D. from FIU in 2025 and is preparing to take the P.E. exam, all while balancing her coursework, job, research, and the demands of being a new mom. Her goals as an engineer include finding valid research-based solutions to community problems in transportation engineering, mentoring aspiring transportation professionals, and embracing the future of transportation with enthusiasm and a commitment to excellence.
