Summary
The safe, efficient, and sustainable movement of persons and goods is critical to the economy and our quality of life. Transportation systems play a critical role in facilitating this mobility and the transportation engineering program at MSU is focused on the planning, design, operation, and management of these systems. Faculty research focuses on improving our understanding of the interactions between road users and the transportation environment, leveraging MSU’s unique 5,200-acre campus, which serves as a connected ecosystem to drive mobility research and development.
Core Faculty
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Ph.D. (2007) Civil Engineering
Courses taught:
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 Mehrnaz Ghamami, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Ph.D. (2015) Civil Engineering Webpage
Courses taught:
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 Peter T. Savolainen, Ph.D., P.E.
Interim Chair & MSU Foundation Professor Ph.D. (2006) Civil Engineering
Courses taught:
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 Ali Zockaie, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Ph.D. (2015) Civil Engineering
Courses taught:
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Timothy J. Gates, Ph.D., P.E.Transportation Engineering courses
The academic program provides fundamental background in transportation planning, traffic engineering, and highway design, which is supplemented through graduate courses on traffic flow theory, highway and traffic safety, traffic analysis and control, transportation research methods, intelligent transportation systems, and transportation and the environment. Students also have the opportunity to enroll in interdisciplinary coursework from other units across MSU, including urban planning, construction management, and computational mathematics, science, and engineering.
Transportation undergraduate-level courses
CE 341 Transportation Engineering
CE 444 Principles of Traffic Engineering
CE 448 Transportation Planning
CE 449 Highway Design
Transportation graduate-level courses
CE 841 Traffic Flow Theory
CE 844 Highway and Traffic Safety
CE 847 Traffic Analysis and Control
CE 849 Transportation Research Methods
CE 850 Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
CE 851 Transportation and the Environment
CE 891 Advanced Highway Design
Transportation courses offered by other MSU departments
UP 400 Urban Design
GEO 414/UP 414 Geography of Transportation
GEO 478/UP 478 Urban Transportation Planning
UP 824 Geographic Information Systems and Design Tools for Planning
CE 878/UP 878 Autonomous Futures
Current and Recent Research Projects
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), T. Gates (co-PI)
Project title: The Interrelationships between Speed Limits, Geometry, and Driver Behavior – Phases 1-3
Funding source: Second Strategic Highway Research Program
PIs: M. Ghamami (PI)
Project title: WRTA Community Micro-grid Transportation Study
Funding source: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
PIs: M. Ghamami (PI), A. Zockaie (co-PI), S. Miller (co-PI)
Project title: Optimized EV Charger Placement Plan – Phases 1-2
Funding source: Michigan Agency for Energy
PIs: A. Zockaie (PI), M. Ghamami (co-PI)
Project title: Middle East Technical University (METU) Smart Campus
Funding source: US Trade and Development Agency
PIs: T. Gates (PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI)
Project title: Research on the Operational Cost and Benefit of Speed Feedback Signs
Funding source: Michigan DOT
PIs: A. Zockaie (PI), M. Ghamami (co-PI), T. Gates (co-PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI)
Project title: Effectiveness of Green Strobes on Winter Maintenance Vehicles and Equipment
Funding source: Michigan DOT
PIs: S. Cotten (PI), E. Mack (co-PI), C.-H. Chang (co-PI), J. Ford (co-PI), J. Verboncoeur (co-PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI)
Project title: FW-HTF-RL: Preparing the Future Workforce for the Era of Automated Vehicles (WEAVE)
Funding source: National Science Foundation
PIs: E. Kassens-Noor (PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI), T. Gates (co-PI)
Project title: US-23 Performance and Safety Assessment
Funding source: Michigan DOT
PIs: A. Zockaie (PI), M. Ghamami (co-PI), T. Gates (co-PI)
Project title: Evaluation/Report for Collision Avoidance & Mitigation System (CAMS) on Winter Maintenance Trucks (WMT)
Funding source: Michigan DOT
PIs: T. Gates (PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI), M. Ghamami (co-PI), A. Zockaie (co-PI), D. Zhao (co-PI)
Project title: 2016 Work Zone Safety Grant
Funding source: Federal Highway Administration
PIs: T. Gates (PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI)
Project title: Traveler Expectations and Future Use of Highway Rest Areas in the Western United States
Funding source: Nevada DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), J. Burley (co-PI), T. Gates (co-PI), T. Qu (co-PI)
Project title: Developing a Consistent Data Driven Methodology to Multimodal, Performance Based and Context Sensitive Design
Funding source: Michigan DOT
PIs: T. Gates (PI)
Project title: Guidance for the Setting of Speed Limits, National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Funding source: National Cooperative Highway Research Program
PIs: T. Gates (PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI), A. Zockaie (co-PI)
Project title: Seat Belt and Hand-Held Device Use Direct Observation Survey
Funding source: Office of Highway Safety Planning
PIs: T. Gates (PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI)
Project title: Technical Support for Michigan Safe Routes to School
Funding source: Michigan Fitness Foundation
PIs: T. Gates (PI)
Project title: GIS Database Assessment
Funding source: City of Wixom
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), T. Gates (co-PI), E. Kassens-Noor (co-PI)
Project title: Effectiveness of Crash Fact/ Safety Message Signs on Dynamic Message Signs
Funding source: Michigan DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), T. Gates (co-PI), E. Kassens-Noor (co-PI)
Project title: Evaluating the Impacts of the 2017 Legislative Mandated Speed Limit Increases
Funding source: Michigan DOT
PIs: T. Gates (PI), T. Qu (co-PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI), J. Burley (co-PI)
Project title: Synthesis of National Best Practices on Pedestrian and Bicycle Design, Guidance and Technology Innovations
Funding source: Michigan DOT
PIs: T. Gates (PI), P. Savolainen (co-PI)
Project title: Direct Observation Survey for Seat Belt and Hand-Held Device Use for Fiscal Year 2019
Funding source: Michigan OHSP
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), C. Day (co-PI)
Project title: In-Service Evaluation of Culvert Extensions
Funding source: Iowa DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), C. Day (co-PI)
Project title: In-Service Evaluation of Railroad Signal and Stop Arm Pole Protection
Funding source: Iowa DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), C. Day (co-PI)
Project title: Evaluation of Speed Limit Policy Impacts on Iowa Highways
Funding source: Iowa DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), Hawkins (co-PI)
Project title: Investigation of Wrong-Way Driving
Funding source: Iowa DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), N. Hawkins (co-PI)
Project title: Highway Safety Improvement Program Implementation Process
Funding source: Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT)
PIs: T. Gates (PI), A. Zockaie (co-PI), M. Ghamami (co-PI)
Project title: Assessment of Countermeasure Gaps, Predictive Crash Analysis and Engineering Safety Programs in Michigan
Funding source: Michigan DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), A. Sharma (co-PI)
Project title: Installation Guidance for Centerline and Edgeline Rumble Strips in Narrow Pavements
Funding source: Iowa DOT, Iowa Highway Research Board, Midwest Transportation Center
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), S. Hallmark (co-PI), A. Sharma (co-PI)
Project title: Risk Factor Identification
Funding source: Iowa DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI)
Project title: Crash Cushion Selection Criteria
Funding source: Iowa DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI)
Project title: In-Service Performance Evaluation of Median Cable Barrier in Iowa
Funding source: Iowa DOT
PIs: P. Savolainen (PI), N. Hawkins (co-PI)
Project title: Development of a Comprehensive Access Management Policy and Guidelines
Funding source: Iowa DOT
