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Research     Education     Outreach

September, 2014                                                                                                Vol. 1, No. 2
Letter from the Director

Dear colleagues -

 

As the summer comes to a close amidst lots of exciting activity here at ISTL and the University, I find myself taking stock of our accomplishments and looking forward to new opportunities and challenges. While this newsletter features many of those, I wanted to take a moment to draw your attention to a few highlighted happenings. First and foremost, I am happy to report that two new faculty have joined ISTL, Dr. Mike Wei and Dr. Wen Dong.  You will find some information about both of these new faculty members below and I invite you take a moment to review their websites and welcome them to ISTL. Second, I wanted to take a moment to congratulate ISTL core faculty member, Dr. Qing He and his staff for introducing transportation concepts to over 30 high school students at UB's second annual National Summer Trasnportation Institute, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration. Finally, I am pleased to report that we received additional funding from the USDOT this summer.

 
Moving forward, I am excited to announce that ISTL's Transportation Seminar Series will kick-off on September 18th and will feature Dr. Ansar-Ul-Haque Yasar, Professor at the Transportation Research Institute, Hasselt University Belgium. In addition, preparations are underway for both an intern matching database and an increased presence at The Transportation Research Board's annual conference in January - and there is continued momentum toward the launch of the MS and certificate program for the Fall of 2015. Lastly, we continue to be energized by a very engaged external advisory board, and are looking forward to continued conversations with the transportation and logistics community on a regional, national and international level. As always, please feel free to be in touch should the need arise or simply to say hi and catch up!

 

Warm regards,

Adel   

Masters Program in Transportation and Logistics welcomes external reviewers

As we move through to approval process for the Masters Degree program in Sustainable Transportation and Logistics; we are pleased to report that the School of Management and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences jointly hosted the program's first external reviewer, Dr. Douglas Lambert from Ohio State University and are encouraged by our discussions with him. We look forward to hosting the second reviewer, Dr. Samer Madanat later in October. Read more about the program's reviewers below:

Samer Madanat

Xenel Professor of Engineering, Chair, and Director for Institute of Transportation Studies, UC-Berkeley

> Learn more about Professor Madanat

Douglas M. Lambert

Raymond E. Mason Chair in Transportation and Logistics; Ohio State University

> Learn more about Professor Lambert
> Learn more about the MS Program

For more information on the MS degree or certificate program, please contact Jennifer Giegel
 
Awards and Honors

ISTL affiliated faculty member, Dr. Alex Anas' paper titled "Why are urban travel times so stable?" was accepted for publication in the Journal of Regional Science and received mention in the Surface Transportation Innovations newsletter.  See the paper abstract here

ISTL core faculty member, Dr. Qing He has been awarded the IBM Faculty Partnership Award (worldwide), as well as receiving two new grants and publishing three journal articles. To learn more about the grants or publications, visit his website here

ISTL affiliated faculty member and this month's featured researcher, Dr. Daniel Hess' research was featured by the University at Buffalo here.

ISTL Director, Dr. Adel Sadek  was quoted in New Scientist on the use of artificial intelligence in transportation systems.

Featured Researcher
 

Dr. Daniel Hess is an affiliated member of the Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics and Associate Professor for the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University at Buffalo (UB). Daniel earned a doctoral degree in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was awarded a Dwight D. Eisenhower Fellowship for Transportation Research from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. Central to his research agenda at UB is interpreting how the built environment of cities (and the public policies that support this form) influences travel behavior.  He is particularly interested in transit system performance and alternative transit funding arrangements, more recently conducting evaluations of employer and university transit pass programs. Daniel is a principal investigator with the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC), Region II, City College of New York and a research associate with the Mineta Transportation Institute of San Jose State University. 

Dr. Hess consults with federal, state, and local agencies so that his research can lead to more effective plan-making and policy development. He serves on the Founding Board of Advisors of Buffalo CarShare and All Aboard Erie; and is the University at Buffalo's representative to the Transportation Research Board. Most recently Dr. Hess' research was the focus of an article on how a transportation program affects human behavior

 

In This Issue
Fall 2014 Seminar Series

The Fall, 2014 Transportation Programs Seminar Series kicks-off on September 18th with Ansar-Ul-Haque Yasar, Professor at the Transportation Research Institute, Hasselt University Belgium

For additional details, click

Meet ISTL's
New Faculty
Wen Dong, Ph.D.
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Operations Management and Strategy
Innovations in Transportation
 and Logistics
Walmart's Advanced Vehicle Experience Concept Truck

The Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience, or WAVE, concept truck is a one-of-a-kind prototype offering a whole package of firsts. The tractor has very advanced aerodynamics and is powered by a prototype advanced turbine-powered, range-extending series hybrid powertrain. The trailer is made almost exclusively with carbon fiber, saving around 4,000 pounds which can then be used to carry more freight.

See video here
A Sustainable Buffalo Niagara

One Region Forward's draft report is now available for review and highlights 5 Big Ideas - including strategies and actions for Big Idea #2 - Expanding and Diversifying Our Region's Transportation Options. Read the report and weigh in HERE.


Attention: industry and students

In the coming months, ISTL will be putting together an intern matching database. Please contact us if you are or soon will be looking for an intern or an internship opportunity. We would be happy to assist in finding the right match for your needs!

Quick Links
Thanks to our funding sponsor

ISTL is funded by the E-fund at the University at Buffalo. The fund invests in high-impact, high-return strategic initiatives responsive to NY SUNY 2020 and UB priorities and seeks to support innovative university initiatives that accelerate UB's efforts to be recognized as one of the leading public research universities in the nation.

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