Dr. Chandra Balijepalli is an Associate Professor in Transport Studies at the Institute for Transport Studies , part of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Leeds. With over 30 years of experience across India, Indonesia, and the UK, his research focuses on transport modelling, network resilience, and sustainable mobility solutions for the Global South. Education: PhD in Transport Modelling (2006), University of Leeds MSc in Transport Planning & Engineering (2000), University of Leeds MSc in Transportation Engineering (1989), National Institute of Technology, Warangal BSc in Civil Engineering (1987), Nagarjuna University His research spans strategic transport modelling, day-to-day traffic dynamics, and resilient network design. Current projects include the U-PASS initiative on urban mobility innovation and post-disaster transport recovery in Indonesia. He developed the MARS model for Jakarta's infrastructure planning and contributed to evacuation strategies for Mount Merapi. Recent publications focus on seaport recovery algorithms, electric motorcycle adoption in Bandung, and pavement maintenance optimisation. These works highlight his expertise in disaster resilience, network interdependencies, and sustainable urban transport policy. Scientific recognitions include: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation Editorial Board Member, Transportation Research Record He supervises 11 PhD students (5 completed, 6 ongoing) and teaches modules on transport engineering, traffic network modelling, and pavement maintenance. As Director of International Activities (2021–present), he leads global collaborations with institutions in Indonesia, including Bandung Institute of Technology and University of Gadjah Mada.
Dr. Yi Gao is an Associate Professor in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology at Purdue University. He teaches Aviation Management courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Prior to joining Purdue, Dr. Gao served as the Aviation Course Director at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. He has been actively involved in academic leadership, serving as the Editor for Collegiate Aviation Review International (2021-2023) and currently as the Educator Trustee for the University Aviation Association. Dr. Gao earned his PhD in Technology from Purdue University, specializing in Aviation Management. His educational background has prepared him to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical applications in the aviation industry. Dr. Gao's research focuses on critical aspects of air transportation systems. His work spans several interconnected domains that address both operational and economic challenges in modern aviation: Air Transportation Economics & Operations: Examining airport revenue streams, pricing strategies, and economic impacts of aviation activities Customer Loyalty Programs & Frequent Flyer Programs: Analyzing consumer behavior, program effectiveness, and revenue implications of airline loyalty initiatives Transport Geography: Investigating airport catchment areas, passenger flow patterns, and spatial relationships in aviation networks Aviation Safety: Exploring safety reporting systems, incident detection, and safety culture in aviation organizations Aviation Education: Developing competency-based curriculum and evaluating skill alignment between academic programs and industry needs Dr. Gao's recent publications demonstrate a strong trajectory in applying advanced analytical methods to aviation challenges. His work increasingly incorporates data science techniques including machine learning, spatial analysis, and text mining to extract insights from complex aviation datasets. A notable trend in his research is the examination of non-aeronautical revenue streams for airports, particularly focusing on parking revenues, loyalty programs, and e-commerce impacts. His airport catchment area research has evolved from theoretical modeling to practical applications using mobile location data, resulting in tools that help airports better understand their service areas. Another significant theme is the analysis of consumer behavior in airline loyalty programs, with recent work examining the effectiveness of innovative offerings like flight passes. Dr. Gao has received several prestigious awards recognizing his contributions to aviation education and research: President's Award from the University Aviation Association (2022) Teaching Leadership Award from Purdue University (2022) Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship from Purdue University (2009-2010) Frederick N. Andrews Fellowship from Purdue University (2006-2009) ACRP Graduate Research Award (2022-2023) Dr. Gao has successfully mentored multiple PhD students to completion, including Dr. Sen Wang who now serves as an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University. His current doctoral students include Zhi Dou, Jiayu Liu, and Tolulope Oluwumi, all working on cutting-edge aviation research topics. His students have received competitive awards including the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Scholarship Award. Dr. Gao has secured significant research funding through projects with the Transportation Research Board's Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), including projects ACRP 01-55, ACRP 03-72, and ACRP 03-74. He has also contributed to major research reports published by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, including "Toolkit for Establishing Airport Catchment Areas" and "State of Airport Loyalty Programs." Dr. Gao leads a dynamic research group focused on empirical aviation studies. His team has developed practical tools including the Travel Utility Analysis tool for visualizing airport catchment areas and sentiment analysis tools for airline customer feedback. The group maintains strong industry connections through partnerships with organizations like ISTAT (International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading) and regular participation in industry conferences. Dr. Gao serves on multiple professional committees including the Transportation Research Board's Standing Committee on Airport Terminals and Ground Access (AV050), and is an active member of the Air Transport Research Society and the Airline Group of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies.
Bruno Agard is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Industrial Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal , specializing in industrial engineering, data mining, and Industry 4.0 applications. He serves as Director of the Data Intelligence Laboratory (LID) and holds memberships in multiple research centers including the Poly-Industries 4.0 Laboratory, IVADO, CIRRELT, and CIRODD. His academic career spans over two decades with progressive roles from Assistant to Full Professor since 2014. Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering (2002), National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble DEA in Industrial Engineering (1999), National School of Industrial Engineering, Grenoble Aggregation in Mechanical Engineering (1998), École Normale Supérieure de Cachan Professor Agard's research focuses on data mining applications for engineering challenges across manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and agriculture. Key areas include product family design, modular systems, delayed differentiation, and spatiotemporal data analysis. Recent publications highlight AI-driven energy consumption modeling for electric buses, sensor failure detection using variational autoencoders, and optimization of agri-food processes through data intelligence. His work demonstrates strong industry collaboration with partners like Air Liquide, Bridgestone, and La Milanaise across 221 publications. Current projects involve real-time data processing for mining equipment, predictive maintenance analytics, and smart card data analysis for urban mobility patterns. 13 Ph.D. students supervised 29 Master's students mentored Current courses: Facilities Planning (IND3303), Industrial Data Mining (IND6212) As Director of LID, he leads interdisciplinary research integrating machine learning with industrial systems, with special emphasis on sustainable development and operational efficiency. His methodological contributions include innovative approaches to product design, process optimization, and knowledge extraction from complex datasets.
Eftychia Nathanael serves as Professor of Transport Systems Design and Assessment, Dean of the Polytechnic School, and Director of the Traffic, Transport and Supply Chain Management Laboratory (TTLog) at the University of Thessaly. She holds significant international roles including Special Expert on Dangerous Goods in NATO's Ground Transport Group and former member of TRB's Hazardous Material Transportation Committee (2009-2021), while representing Greece in COST actions TU1004 and TU1305. Her educational background includes: PhD in Civil Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Master of Science in Transportation Engineering from University of Miami Diploma in Surveying Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Nathanael's research focuses on sustainable transport systems through integrated methodologies in urban mobility planning , intelligent transport systems , and behavioral modeling . She pioneers applications of multi-criteria optimization for freight logistics, road safety, and resilience against natural hazards, with particular emphasis on collaborative transport schemes and social factors influencing mobility decisions. Her 13 recent publications (2020-2023) reveal three dominant trends: (1) Sustainable urban mobility solutions using computational intelligence for CO2 reduction and hydrogen infrastructure; (2) Behavioral analysis of crowdshipping, navigation systems, and social media impacts; (3) Cross-case evaluations of city logistics through Delphi methods and gender-sensitive approaches. These works consistently bridge technical transport engineering with socio-economic sustainability dimensions. As scientific manager for European projects (CLOSER, STRAIGHTSOL, CITY-HUB), she has secured substantial research funding while mentoring graduate students through TTLog laboratory. Her editorial leadership spans MDPI journals and De Gruyter's Transactions on Transport Sciences. The TTLog laboratory under her direction advances eight research domains including transport safety, user behavior analysis, and freight logistics, with notable outputs in EC-funded initiatives like CAST road safety campaigns and ALLIANCE sustainable transport hubs.
Dr. Subhro Mitra is a Professor of Supply Chain and Marketing Management in the School of Business at the University of North Texas-Dallas. His work focuses on critical areas of freight logistics, security, and operational efficiency. Research Interests: Freight flow modeling, supply chain security, asset management, life-cycle cost analysis, logistics network optimization, facility location studies Awards: Distinguished Educator’s Service Award from the National Defense Transportation Association Professional Activities: Principal investigator for externally funded projects, frequent keynote speaker at logistics conferences
Dr. Jia Guo is a Researcher at the Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (rCITI) within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). She received her Ph.D. in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, USA. Her research spans multiple domains including transportation systems, network design, healthcare operations, and power systems optimization. Her primary research interests include: Operations research and optimization methodologies Mathematical modeling and simulation Machine learning applications in transportation Rail and air transportation systems Stochastic analysis and modeling Dr. Guo's work focuses on developing advanced optimization techniques to solve complex problems in transportation planning and logistics. Her research has produced significant contributions in freight train planning, air traffic controller scheduling, vehicle routing, transportation and logistics design, travel behavior analysis, and staff scheduling. She has extensive expertise in mathematical modeling, decomposition algorithms, metaheuristics, machine learning methods, and statistical analysis. Her publications reflect a strong trajectory in applying operations research to real-world transportation challenges, with a particular emphasis on stochastic and optimization approaches across rail, air, and urban transportation systems. Dr. Guo maintains an active research profile with an ORCID identifier (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5350-2595) and is engaged with the academic community through Google Scholar.
Xiubin Wang is a Professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University, based in DLEB 303C with contact details including phone 979-845-9901 and email bwang@tamu.edu. Education: Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Transportation), University of California, Irvine, 2001 His research applies operations research to transportation systems, focusing on stochastic modeling, network optimization, multimodal transportation, freight logistics, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), vehicle routing/scheduling, revenue management, and auction of transportation services. His work aims to enhance transportation efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in dynamic stochastic environments. No scientific awards were mentioned in the source materials. Information regarding student advising, grant funding, and laboratory facilities was not provided in the available texts.
Saeed Hossein Nia is a researcher at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology , specializing in Engineering Mechanics with a focus on Rail-Vehicle Technology , Freight Transport , and Wheel Damage . He holds a PhD in Vehicle Engineering (Rail-Vehicle Dynamics) and an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (Structural Analysis and Computational Engineering). His research centers on longitudinal train dynamics, wheel-rail interaction, and predictive maintenance strategies for railway systems. Academic Background PhD in Vehicle Engineering (Rail-Vehicle Dynamics), KTH M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (Structural Analysis), KTH Research Focus Wheel wear and Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) prediction Multibody simulation for railway systems Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis of rail maintenance Curve squeal noise modeling Publications 15+ peer-reviewed articles on rail degradation modeling (2013–2025) Key journals: Wear, Vehicle System Dynamics, Railway Engineering Links LinkedIn Profile ResearchGate
Dr. Sherif M. Gaweesh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of North Dakota's College of Engineering and Mines. With over 17 years of practical and research experience in transportation engineering, his work focuses on traffic safety, connected/autonomous vehicles, and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). He holds professional certifications as a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) and Road Safety Professional (RSP1). Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering, University of Wyoming (2018) M.Sc. in Transportation Engineering, Shoubra Faculty of Engineering, Banha University (2013) B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Shoubra Faculty of Engineering, Banha University (2006) Dr. Gaweesh's research spans crash modeling , AI applications , surrogate safety measures , and big data analytics in transportation contexts. His recent publications demonstrate expertise in analyzing hazardous materials transport risks, autonomous vehicle disengagement patterns, and weather-responsive traffic management systems. Scientific recognitions include: 2022 High Value Research Project Winner 2022 Safety, Security, and Emergencies Category Recognition 2018 ITE CO/WY Section 'Student of the Year'
Professor Phill Wheat is an applied economist and econometrician at the Faculty of Environment , University of Leeds. He serves as Professor of Transport Econometrics at the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS), where he has worked since 2002. His expertise spans road and rail cost analysis, efficiency modeling, and regulatory economics. Education: PhD in Econometric Cost Analysis, MA in Transport Economics, BSc in Economics and Econometrics Key Roles: Deputy Director of ITS, Module Leader for Transport Econometrics, dissertation supervisor Research Themes: Transport cost modeling, econometric benchmarking, rail sector performance analysis, highway maintenance efficiency His work combines applied econometric research with regulatory policy analysis, particularly in transport infrastructure. Notable projects include the CQC Efficiency Network for highway maintenance, econometric demand modeling for rail operators, and EU-funded SUSTRAIL research on sustainable rail freight. Phill actively supervises undergraduate and postgraduate economics dissertations and seeks PhD candidates in transport economics and infrastructure regulation. Collaborations: Projects with Network Rail, Office of Rail and Road, Department for Transport, EPSRC, EU Framework Programmes. Key methodologies include stochastic frontier analysis, econometric demand modeling, and cost-benefit analysis. Leadership: Deputy Head of School at ITS, project director for SUSTRAIL, and leader of rail work packages in EU-funded research.
Grit Walther is a University Professor of Operations Management at the Faculty of Business and Economics, RWTH Aachen University since September 2012. She leads the Chair of Operations Management, focusing on application-oriented research in logistics and production systems. Her work bridges business administration with engineering disciplines to address sustainability challenges in value networks. Professor Walther's educational background includes a natural sciences degree in Geoecology followed by a doctorate in 2004 from the Chair of Production and Logistics at TU Braunschweig. Her academic career progressed from heading the 'Sustainable Value Networks' working group at TU Braunschweig (2004-2009), to completing her habilitation in 2009, and holding a professorship at the University of Wuppertal (2010-2012) before joining RWTH Aachen. Her research spans production, logistics, and supply chain management with a strong emphasis on sustainability. Professor Walther investigates sustainable supply chains, reverse logistics, sustainable mobility systems, and the transformation toward zero-emission industries. Her work integrates robust and multi-criteria optimization approaches to address uncertainties in regulatory, economic, and technological conditions across various sectors including non-ferrous metal industries, automotive, and energy markets. Professor Walther's publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to leading journals in operations research and management science. Her recent work shows increasing focus on sustainability challenges, particularly in recycling networks, green logistics, and sustainable mobility. She frequently collaborates with researchers across disciplines, addressing complex problems at the intersection of business, engineering, and environmental science. She actively engages with industry through research projects implemented in interdisciplinary cooperation with engineering and scientific research institutes, industrial companies, and political decision-makers. Her work on sustainable value networks has practical implications for companies seeking to optimize their operations while meeting environmental objectives.
Professor David Gray is a Professor of Transport Policy and Academic Strategic Lead for Research at Robert Gordon University's School of Creative and Cultural Business. His work focuses on transport in remote, rural, and island communities, climate change impacts, and Scottish transport policy. He leads projects addressing sustainable transport solutions, energy efficiency in housing, and autonomous vehicle implementation. Research Interests: Transport policy and planning in rural/remote areas Low-carbon mobility and energy transitions Public engagement in transport initiatives Socio-cultural impacts of transport infrastructure Key Projects: Stronghouse: Community approaches to energy-efficient retrofitting PAV: Planning for Autonomous Vehicles in the North Sea Region Impact Accelerator: Storytelling and heritage initiatives Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD students on topics like sustainable tourism strategies and island games evaluation Secured funding for projects like Green Passenger Transport in Rural Areas (€6M+) Labs/Teams: Active in the Transport & Energy Policy Group and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across the Scottish Centre for Evidence-based Multi-professional Practice.
Shanssan Guo is an academic affiliated with Northeastern University in Shenyang, China. Her research focuses on interdisciplinary areas including discrete mathematics, healthcare informatics, operations research, and machine learning. She has co-authored numerous papers in reputable journals such as Discrete Mathematics , IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks , and Information Technology & People . Key research interests include graph theory applications, optimization algorithms, and healthcare technology adoption. Her work spans theoretical contributions (e.g., edge-colored graph cycle analysis) to applied domains like medical imaging reconstruction, cargo stowage optimization, and physician incentive mechanisms in online platforms. Collaborations with industry experts and cross-disciplinary teams highlight her commitment to bridging theory and practice. Publications demonstrate expertise in queueing theory models for resource allocation, reinforcement learning for energy systems, and biomedical data analysis frameworks. Despite prolific output, no specific awards or student mentoring details are explicitly noted in available records.
Konstantinos P. Triantis is the John Lawrence Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech's College of Engineering, based at the Northern Virginia Center. He serves as Director of the Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) program in the National Capital Region (NCR) and co-director of the System Performance Lab (SPL). His roles include leadership on the NCR College of Engineering executive committee and former directorship of the Systems Engineering Program. Education: Ph.D., Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Columbia University (1984) M. Phil., Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Columbia University (1980) M.S., Industrial and Management Engineering, Columbia University (1977) B.S., Industrial and Management Engineering, Columbia University (1976) Research Interests: Dr. Triantis focuses on Management Systems Engineering , Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) , and Critical Infrastructure Resilience . His work bridges engineering with social sciences, emphasizing dynamic performance evaluation (DPEM), complex adaptive systems, and efficiency measurement in transportation, healthcare, and disaster response systems. Recent themes include automation reliance in safety-critical roles and policy evaluation for infrastructure sustainability. Grants & Funding: He has led over $6.6M in funded projects from NSF, NASA, DOD, and others. Notable areas include resilience of interdependent infrastructures and traffic congestion mitigation strategies. Awards: John L. Lawrence Professorship (2013) Ralph H. Bogle Professor Fellow (2008) Advising: Advised over 60 graduate students, with six current advisees. Pioneered TV/compressed video course delivery in the NCR. Labs & Outreach: Co-directs the System Performance Lab (SPL), focusing on interdisciplinary solutions for engineered systems. Active in NSF-funded initiatives like the Resilient Infrastructure Processes and Systems (RIPS) program.
Thomas Budd is an Associate Professor of Airport Decarbonisation at Cranfield University's Centre for Air Transport Management. His research focuses on aviation sustainability, environmental planning, and digital transformation in air transport systems. He leads the Air Transport Environmental Planning MSc module and coordinates research in the Ground Operations (GO) Laboratory at the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC), which evaluates new technologies for airport ground operations. His work is co-funded by Heathrow Airport. Education includes a PhD from Loughborough University and a research fellowship at the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Transport Research. His research explores decarbonisation strategies, zero-emission fuels, climate resilience, and passenger digital service adoption. He has contributed to over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, addressing topics like airport infrastructure resilience, electric aircraft impacts, and post-pandemic passenger confidence. His expertise spans air transport management, with a focus on aligning technological innovation with environmental goals. He collaborates with industry partners to advance low-carbon aviation infrastructure and digital maturity frameworks for airports. Current research emphasizes transition to low-emission airport infrastructure through the TRILEMA project.
