Shi’s work is transforming traffic data into road safety solutions

Tom Shi is working with campus police video to find a data-science method of predicting bad driving behaviors around UWM.

Tom Shi’s lab at UWM are developing a data-driven system to improve road safety by tracking risky driving behaviors in real-time. Partnering with the UWM Police Department, they analyze traffic footage using deep learning algorithms to detect behaviors like distracted driving and speeding. Their system creates 3D digital maps with detailed vehicle and pedestrian data to identify unsafe road conditions, such as pedestrian hotspots where drivers fail to yield. The final goal is to develop an intervention system that provides real-time alerts for risky driving, potentially integrating C-V2X communication technology to warn drivers via a roadside unit or mobile app.

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Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute funds more faculty and student projects

Faculty awarded include (clockwise from left) McRoy, Nosonovsky, Rahman, Shi and Zhao

The Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute (NMDSI) has awarded over $700,000 in grants through three annual programs that support cross-institution collaboration in data science research and education. As part of a long-term commitment, UWM, Marquette University, and Northwestern Mutual will invest $35 million over the next five years to position Wisconsin as a hub for data science and technology. Awardees from UWM include faculty and students working on AI-driven rehabilitation, rural connectivity, digital twin risk prediction, and explainable AI for healthcare. The funded programs—Paving ROADS Seed Fund, Pioneer Collaborative Curricula, and Student Research Scholars—aim to advance interdisciplinary research, integrate data science into curricula, and engage students in cutting-edge projects.

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IPIT and WisDOT host annual Southeast Wisconsin Transportation Symposium

Xiao Qin, IPIT director and the Lawrence E. Sivak Professor in Civil & Environmental Engineering, opens the symposium.

The 2024 Southeast Wisconsin Transportation Symposium, co-hosted by UWM’s Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation (IPIT) and WisDOT, brought together over 200 students, professionals, and researchers to explore innovative solutions in transportation. Key topics included pedestrian and bicyclist safety, Milwaukee’s Vision Zero program, and emerging trends in autonomous vehicles. UWM researchers Robert Schneider and Xiao Qin presented their study on rising pedestrian fatalities, offering insights into trends and potential solutions. The event featured engaging sessions, keynote speeches, and a “walk-shop” tour of UWM’s latest pedestrian facilities.

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College’s student chapter of ITE draws honors

two men and one woman displaying an award
Ryan Bush (left), president of the Great Lakes District, UWM junior Halie Markovic, and Cole Villabos, young member committee chair

Members of the College’s Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) student chapter received the 2024 Momentum Award at the ITE Great Lakes District annual meeting in June.

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IPIT Faculty Dr. Tom Shi Conducted CAV Demonstration for at WisDOT CV Pool Fund

On May 2nd, IPIT faculty Dr. Tom Shi was invited to conduct CAV demonstrations for the CV Pool Fund study coordinated by WisDOT, showcasing to audiences from various DOT colleagues from other states. Dr. Shi demonstrated how IPIT resaerchers use camera and Lidar sensors to detect moving objects and the preliminary results from one of his project funded by USDOT UTC Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety (CPBS): Multiple-vehicle Trajectory Planning Framework Considering Vulnerable Road Users.


IPIT Ph.D. Student Mohammad Abrari Vahari Receives UWM Distinguished Graduate School Fellowship

Mohammad Abrari Vajari

IPIT Ph.D. student Mohammad Abrari Vahari has been awarded the UWM Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship for the 2023-2024 academic year, reflecting his exceptional academic performance and dedication. He is one of the five graduate students in the College received this award this year.

The fellowships are offered through a highly selective process and are one-year, non-renewable awards. The Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship provides a stipend of $15,500 in addition to full tuition coverage, low-cost health benefits, and a $1,000 travel award. The same benefits apply to the Distinguished Dissertation Graduate School Fellowships except the stipend is $17,000.

Well done and congratulations to Mohammad!

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IPIT Researchers and Students Presented Seven Papers at 2024 TRB 103rd Annual Meeting

Researchers and students from the Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation (IPIT) made a significant impact at the 103rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) held in Washington, D.C., presenting seven papers that delved into various critical aspects of transportation infrastructure and safety:

1.    M. W. Amer, Y. Li, Xiao Qin (2023), Unveiling Data Interconnection Gaps: Linking Overheight Vehicle Bridge Strike Data, TRB 103rd Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

2.    Z. X. He, H. Tabatabai, Xiao Qin (2023), Evaluating the Delivery and Oversight of State-Funded Local Bridge Projects, TRB 103rd Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

3.    Xiao Qin, M. Gottlieb, S. Solverson, M. W. Amber (2023), Lessons Learned from Pilot Design-Build Transportation Projects, TRB 103rd Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

4.    M. A. Vajari, Y. Li, I. Aghayan, Xiao Qin, R. J. Schneider (2023), Current Practices in Non-Motorist Crowdsourced Data Among Transportation Agencies: A Nationwide Survey and Its Implications, TRB 103rd Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

5.    Y. Li, Xiao Qin, M. A. Sayed, M. Hossain, M. W. Amer. A (2023), Systematic Review of Machine Learning Methods for Traffic Crash Modeling, TRB 103rd Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

6.    M. W. Amer, Y. Li, Xiao Qin (2023), Developing Crash Prediction Models for Under-Bridge Strikes by Over-Height Vehicles, TRB 103rd Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

7.    M. A. Sayed, Xiao Qin (2023), A Structure and Narrative Data Fusion–Based Machine Learning Approach to Classifying Distracted Driving Crashes, TRB 103rd Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

IPIT Ph.D. Student Mohammad Wael Amer Receives UWM Professor Edward A. Beimborn Fellowship

Mohammad W Amer

IPIT Ph.D. student Mohammad Wael Amer has been awarded a research fellowship supported by the Professor Edward A. Beimborn Fellowship Fund for the 2023-2024 academic year, recognizing his outstanding academic achievements and commitment.

The Professor Edward A. Beimborn Fellowship Fund is established by Dr. Curtis Lueck P.E. ’77, to award graduate students in the College of Engineering who are enrolled in a program leading to a graduate degree in Civil Engineering, with a concentration in urban transportation for their outstanding academic and research achievements. One award of $7,500 is given out each academic year.

Well done and congratulations to Amer!

Associate IPIT Director, Mark Gottlieb, provides insights on what Milwaukee without I-794 bridges would be like on TMJ4

September 13, 2023

Mark Gottlieb with TMJ4’s Shannon Sims on @theTable

Mark Gottlieb, associate director of UWM’s Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation, discussed the pros and cons of removing I-794s east-west bridges with several media outlets in September.

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IPIT Director Xiao Qin featured on safety of roundabouts in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

In September, Xiao Qin, UWM Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation director and Lawrence E. Sivak ’71 Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, explained why roundabouts have increasingly become popular, their safety benefits and the history behind them in this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel feature.

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