Haitham Al-Deek

Haitham Al-Deek is a Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at the University of Central Florida's College of Engineering and Computer Science. He leads the Intelligent Transportation Systems and Data Analytics Lab and has over 32 years of experience in transportation engineering, planning, and operations. His work is nationally recognized, particularly in freeway operations and intelligent transportation systems (ITS).

• Ph.D., Civil Engineering-Transportation Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (1991)
• M.S., Civil Engineering-Transportation Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (1987)
• B.S., Civil Engineering (with Honors), University of California, Berkeley (1985)

Dr. Al-Deek's research focuses on wrong-way driving countermeasures, connected and automated vehicles, traffic safety, and data analytics. He pioneered innovative ITS solutions for detecting and preventing wrong-way driving, including the development of a high-success-rate detection system in partnership with the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX). His work extends to freight transportation, electronic toll collection, and sustainable transportation systems. He has also contributed to safety performance functions and driver behavior modeling.

His recent publications highlight advanced methodologies in network screening for crash modeling, the use of crowdsourced data (e.g., Waze) for incident detection, optimization of wrong-way driving countermeasures, and benefit-cost analyses of safety technologies. These works reflect a strong trend toward data-driven, real-time, and cost-effective solutions in transportation safety and operations.

Scientific awards and recognitions include:

• TRB Chairman Award (2018, 2012)
• Multiple TRB Best Paper Awards (Freeway Operations and Regional TSM&O, 2023–2003)
• TRB Best Student Paper Awards (2022, 2019, 2018, 2017)
• UCF Excellence in Research Award (2018)
• UCF Researcher of the Year (1999)
• Distinguished Researcher, UCF College of Engineering (2003)

Dr. Al-Deek has supervised 15 Ph.D. students and 29 M.S. theses and has secured over $10.3 million in research funding from agencies including FDOT, TRB, USDOT, and CFX. He serves as a technical editor for TRR and associate editor for the Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems. He also chaired key TRB paper review subcommittees and is an active professional engineer in Florida.

He leads the Intelligent Transportation Systems and Data Analytics Lab, which focuses on real-world applications of ITS, data warehousing, and advanced analytics for transportation safety and efficiency.