Haris Koutsopoulos

Haris Koutsopoulos is a Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northeastern University. He is also Affiliated Faculty in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. His research focuses on urban transportation networks, public transportation operations, and mobility on demand systems.

Education:

• PhD, Transportation Systems, MIT, 1986
• MS, Transportation, MIT, 1983
• B.Sc.Eng., National Technical University of Athens, Greece, 1980

Research interests include urban mobility solutions, smart city technologies, and data-driven approaches for optimizing public transit systems. He leads the Transit Mobility Lab, collaborating with MIT's Transit Group to advance innovation in public transportation. Key projects involve partnerships with Transport for London, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Awards include the 2025 Faculty Research Team Award, 2016 Traffic Simulation Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2011 IEEE ITS Outstanding Application Award. His work has been recognized through visiting professorships and interdisciplinary grants.

Advising highlights include mentoring PhD students John Moody and Joseph Rodriguez, with research on urban rail maintenance and AI-driven transit efficiency. Grants include an NSF-funded project on the Sharing Economy (2018) and MIT-NU Transit Lab funding from Hong Kong MTR (2017).

He actively contributes to labs/teams like the Transit Mobility Lab and Impact Engines initiatives addressing global urban mobility challenges. His recent work emphasizes machine learning applications, pandemic-era transportation safety, and sustainable urban growth strategies.