Adeel Lari has retired from his research position at the Institute for Urban and Regional Infrastructure Finance (IURIF) at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. He was an essential member of the TPEC research team.
“Adeel’s nearly 50 years of experience in transportation work, first with the Minnesota Department of Transportation and then at the Humphrey School, will never be replaced, but the products of this work will continue to benefit us many years into the future,” says Frank Douma, IURIF director of state & local policy and outreach.
Lari conducted pioneering work in right-of-way contracting, transportation finance, telework, and implementation of numerous technological innovations, all of which provide benefits to the travelling public and material for further research within Minnesota as well as nationally and internationally.
A highlight of this work was leading Connecting Minnesota, which was a public-private initiative in the 1990s to build a statewide fiber optics network. When a private partner was unable to finish the project, the state gained hundreds of miles of built conduits and fiber as liquidated damages, worth more than $50 million, at no cost to the state.
Lari is also enormously proud of his work championing diversity in the state, even at significant personal and professional cost.
“We look forward to continued interaction and advice in the future,” says Camila Fonseca-Sarmiento, IURIF director of fiscal research. “But most of all, we wish him all the best as he pursues additional interests in his community, and championing equity in all aspects of life!”
If you need any further information or have any research-related questions, please contact Douma or Fonseca-Sarmiento.