Shannon Roberts

Shannon Roberts is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, leading research in Human Factors and Transportation Safety. Her work spans driver-vehicle interaction, automated systems, and equity-focused transportation design, with notable grants from NSF, Sloan Foundation, and UMass ADVANCE.

• Education: PhD and MS in Industrial Engineering (University of Wisconsin-Madison), BS in Mechanical Engineering (MIT)

Research focuses on:

• Teen Driver Safety and Training Effectiveness
• Human Factors in Automated Vehicles
• Cybersecurity Response in Transportation
• Feedback Systems for Driver Performance
• Community-Centered Traffic Mitigation

Recent publications analyze distraction patterns, automation impacts, and VR-based driver assessment. Her team has received multiple awards including the Bentzi Karsh Early Career Service Award and Stephanie Binder Young Professional Award.

• Students: Mentored 15+ undergraduate and graduate researchers including Meng Wang (PhD candidate), Jaji Pamarthi (PhD student), and alumni like Yalda Ebadi (New Relic) and Fangda Zhang (Ohio State University)

Contact: scroberts@umass.edu | LinkedIn | Google Scholar