June 2024
Dr. Meghna Chakraborty (she/her) is an Engineering Research Associate at the Highway Safety Research Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and she can be reached at chakraborty@hsrc.unc.edu or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghnach/
What drew you to transportation research?
Growing up in a metro-city of a developing country, I witnessed the mayhem which engulfs transportation systems. As cities move along their growth trajectories, transportation issues bear the utmost importance. In this new era, we are also experiencing complex yet promising transportation systems where the interactions between humans and technology are more real than ever. In this ever-changing world of technology, the quest to explore the field of transportation encouraged me to pursue a career in the same area.
How have your personal experiences informed your research interests?
As a part of my continued efforts to broaden my research area, I recently became a part of AME20. As we move towards more equitable and inclusive transportation systems, I strongly believe that women and gender issues need to be addressed which, so far, have received very little attention. Existing research alludes to obvious differences in mobility patterns and needs between men and women or other genders as well as perceived and actual safety concerns for women and other genders in transportation. As a woman transportation researcher, I want to delve more into this area of research to contribute to a more equitable, fair, and safe transportation system.
What do you work on today?
During my first master’s degree in planning, I developed a keen interest in sustainable transportation and its relationship with traffic safety. Subsequently, I earned another master’s degree in civil engineering specializing in transportation. As a doctoral student in transportation engineering at Michigan State University (MSU), I was involved in traffic safety- and operations-related research. Currently, my research involves a variety of topics in traffic safety and operations, including traditional and artificial intelligence and machine learning-based data analysis and predictive modeling pertaining to roadway design, human factors, road user behavior, occupant protection, intelligent transportation systems, and connected and autonomous vehicles. Over the course of my graduate studies and employment with Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC), I have been involved in several research projects funded by National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), among others. I have also provided referee service for several journals and conferences, and am affiliated with multiple professional and technical committees.
Which research accomplishments are you most proud of?
During my graduate studies, I had several opportunities to mentor and guide students as a Teaching/Research Assistant, and my performance earned the trust among both students and fellow colleagues. I served as the lead contributor in most of my research efforts. At MSU, I was elected President of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Student Chapter. During my presidency, the ITE Great Lakes District awarded our chapter the “Outstanding Chapter Award” and the “Chapter Momentum Award.” The ITE Great Lakes District also awarded me the “Daniel B. Fambro Outstanding Paper Award” for my research on rural road safety. I also had the great honor to receive several other awards, including: the “Excellence in Highway Safety Data Award” from ITE in 2022, the “Maggie Walsh Legacy Leadership Graduate Scholarship” from WTS-Michigan in 2020, and the “Helene M. Overly Scholarship” from WTS in 2018 and 2019. As an MSU student, I also won the Environmental Science and Policy Program (ESPP)’s best student presentation award in 2019, the ESPP fellowship in 2017, and Graduate Office fellowship in 2017.
What are your next goals?
As an aspiring transportation engineer and researcher, I hope to continue contributing to the plethora of opportunities in the field of transportation safety and operations by applying a data-driven approach and interdisciplinary knowledge. Particularly, I look forward to getting involved in data-driven modeling, identifying crash patterns, recommending crash countermeasures or operational improvements, and developing alternatives to improve safety and operations. My long-term goal is to pursue a career making original contributions to the field of transportation. I would like to continue to be a part of research and professional committees of educational and scientific associations such as Transportation Research Board (TRB), and Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), among others.
This profile was prepared by AME20 Communications Coordinator Amy Fong.