Matthew Dean

Matthew Dean is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine's Samueli School of Engineering. He leads the Sustainable Transportation & Evolving Energy Research (STEER) Lab, focusing on sustainable transportation systems, electric/autonomous vehicle operations, and integrated transportation-energy modeling. His expertise includes agent-based travel demand modeling, optimization, and transportation-land use planning to address urban challenges like climate change and infrastructure constraints.

Education

• Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2023
• M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2020
• B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, 2019

Research Focus

Dean's research examines technological and policy solutions for sustainable mobility systems, including:

• Planning/operations of electric/autonomous vehicle fleets
• Transportation-energy system integration
• Agent-based modeling of travel demand
• Linkages between physical activity and urban planning
• Decarbonization strategies for transportation networks

Publication Trends

Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on electric vehicle infrastructure (charging-as-a-service models, smart charging), shared autonomous fleet management (parking strategies, operational optimization), and socio-technical aspects of sustainable transportation (public perceptions, pandemic responses). The work consistently integrates energy systems thinking with transportation planning.

Laboratory

Leads the Sustainable Transportation & Evolving Energy Research (STEER) Lab investigating next-generation mobility solutions through interdisciplinary approaches combining engineering, planning, and policy perspectives.