Dr. Cassie Castorena is the Lawrence A. Twisdale Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2012. Her research focuses on improving the performance and sustainability of asphalt pavements, the largest civil infrastructure system in the U.S. with recent emphasis on advancing mixture design to enable increased use of recycled materials without compromising durability. Her research has been recognized with several awards, including the Fred Burggraf Outstanding Paper Award (2024), the ASCE Transportation and Development Institute Outstanding Young Member Award (2018), and the AASHTO RAC High Value Research Award (2016).
In addition to her research, Dr. Castorena teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on civil engineering materials, asphalt materials, and pavement preservation. She has received multiple teaching honors, including the NC State University Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Award.