Berger Charitable Foundation supports IRF Fellowship Program

Helen Pinto (third from left), 2018 Louis Berger-named IRF Fellow, with (left) Emmanuel Adanu, 2017 Louis Berger-named IRF Fellow; Sofia Berger, Berger Charitable Foundation director; and Robert Nardi, Berger Charitable Foundation president and executive director.

Morristown, N.J. — The Berger Charitable Foundation announced that Helen Karla Ramalho de Farias Pinto is the 2018 recipient of a Louis Berger-named Fellowship from the International Road Federation (IRF). Through a donation to the IRF Fellowship Program, the Berger Charitable Foundation has provided Ms. Pinto with support to bolster her academic endeavors.

Ms. Pinto is pursuing her Master of Science and doctorate degrees in civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University with a focus on transportation systems analysis and planning. She received her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Universidade Federal da Paraiba in 2014 and expects to complete her studies in 2019.

“Louis Berger has been a strong supporter of IRF for many decades. The IRF Fellowship Program enables a deserving international student such as Helen to continue her studies. In return, we hope to continue our relationship with her throughout her career,” said Sofia Berger, who serves on the Berger Charitable Foundation’s board of directors. “We are honored to lend our support to IRF and its scholars,” added Bob Nardi, Foundation president.

As a Louis Berger-named Fellow, Ms. Pinto participated in the IRF Road Scholar Program, a 10-day orientation and leadership-training program held in Washington, D.C., in January as part of the annual meeting of the IRF and the Transportation Research Board. Representing the Berger Charitable Foundation at a reception for IRF Fellows held January 9 were Sofia Berger, who currently serves on the International Road Education Foundation Board, and Bob Nardi, president of the Berger Charitable Foundation. Also in attendance was Emmanuel Adanu, the 2017 recipient of the IRF Louis Berger-named Fellowship.

The IRF Fellowship Program for graduate students of engineering and transportation policy has been a cornerstone of the work of the International Road Federation for more than 65 years. Founded in 1949, the program enhances the professional curriculum of graduate students in fields related to the development of better and safer roads, and their ability to meaningfully improve transportation in their home countries.