About The Director

About The Director

YiThe Director of the Ohio Transportation Consortium is Dr. Ping Yi, Professor of Civil Engineering at The University of Akron. Dr. Yi has been involved in transportation education and research for more than twenty years. His engineering experiences include serving in public, private, and academic sectors. From 1991-1995 he was actively involved in the UTC committees at The University of Minnesota while working as a Principle Engineer and Senior Scientist for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D – Traffic Engineering – Feb 1992, Civil & Mineral Eng Dept, University of Minnesota
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

  • University of Akron, August, 1996 – Present
    • Chair of Undergraduate Committee
    • Dept. of Civil Engineering Chair of Graduate Committee
    • Dept. of Civil Engineering
    • Member of College Undergraduate and Graduate Committees
    • Advisor of Institute of Transportation Engineers Student Chapter
  • Tennessee Technological University, 1994-1996
  • Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT), 1991-1994
    • Guidestar Program Research Scientist, Principal Engineer
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND AFFILIATIONS

  • TRB Committee and Task Force
  • National Research Council, ITS – IDEA Program
  • Institute of Transportation Engineers
  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • Intelligent Transportation Society
  • American Society of Highway Engineers
  • American Society of Engineering Education
ACADEMIC RESEARCH

  • Travel Time Estimation from Limited Detector Data
  • Real-Time Traffic Signal Coordination and Optimization
  • Deer-Vehicle and Run Off Road Crash Studies
  • Smart Sign Ordering System
  • Incorporating New Crash Data Format and Software Development Standard in AVADIT Implementation
  • Development of Accident Visual Analysis and Data Integration Tool
  • Safety Study for Elderly Drivers at Unsignalized Intersections
  • Development of Intelligent Transportation System Logic Architecture
  • Development of Freeway Macroscopic Traffic Flow Models
  • Field Testing and Verification of Traffic Detection Systems for Monitoring Urban Traffic Operations
PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

  • Detection Technology for ITS, funded by FHWA to Field testing of image sensing, microwave, infrared, radar, ultrasonic, and laser traffic detection systems, 1992.
  • Saint Paul Incident Management, funded by Minnesota DOT and FHWA
    Development of an incident detection and response system for I-94 in downtown Saint Paul, 1993.
  • Advanced Urban Signal Control and Integration, funded by Minneapolis and FHWA Implementation of the Split Cycle Offsets Optimization Technique (SCOOT) traffic control system over fifty intersections in downtown Minneapolis, 1994
  • Saint Paul Advanced Parking Information System, funded by Minnesota DOT and FHWA Development of a parking advisory system to provide traffic congestion and parking availability information to motorists during special events, 1994