Matthew Bhagat-Conway

Matthew Bhagat-Conway is an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina. He holds a joint appointment at the Odum Institute for Research in the Social Sciences, where he supports statistical and data analysis efforts. His research focuses on travel behavior, urban transportation systems, and advanced statistical methods applied to transportation data.

Dr. Bhagat-Conway earned a PhD and MA in Geography from Arizona State University, and a BA in Geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to academia, he worked as a software developer at Conveyal, a transit planning firm, and participated in the University of Chicago’s Data Science for Social Good fellowship.

His research explores pandemic impacts on transportation patterns, including studies showing post-COVID traffic distribution changes in California and telecommuting persistence. He also investigates transit accessibility metrics, fare structures, and the integration of new technologies in transportation planning.

Key contributions include developing pedagogical tools like the 'My First Four-Step Model' for teaching travel demand modeling, and creating the Standardized Transport Attitude Measurement Protocol (STAMP) to enhance behavioral model accuracy. His work bridges data science with urban planning, emphasizing practical applications for policy makers.

Currently accepting PhD advisees, Bhagat-Conway collaborates with agencies to improve transit accessibility and advocates for evidence-based urban revitalization strategies through data-driven approaches.