Xinwu Qian

Xinwu Qian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor and Hewson Faculty Fellow at the University of Alabama (2020–2024). His research focuses on mathematical modeling and data-driven methods for transportation systems, emphasizing transportation electrification, public transit optimization, and shared mobility applications. He holds a Ph.D. (2018) and M.S.E. (2014) from Purdue University, where his doctoral work investigated transportation systems' role in infectious disease transmission.

Dr. Qian's expertise spans transportation network modeling, applied operations research, and urban computing. His work integrates data analytics to address real-world challenges like equity in transit access and the environmental impacts of electrification. He leads the Mobility-X Lab, exploring innovative solutions for sustainable urban mobility systems.

His recent research trends highlight:

• Optimization of microtransit and dial-a-ride systems with equity considerations
• Analysis of electric vehicle charging infrastructure dynamics
• Modeling pandemic impacts on transportation accessibility
• Applications of reinforcement learning for traffic control and vehicle repositioning

Dr. Qian is affiliated with the Transportation Research Board and INFORMS. His 60+ publications span prestigious journals/conferences, reflecting his commitment to advancing interdisciplinary transportation science.