About

Chenzhu Wang

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Smart & Safe Transportation Lab at the University of Central Florida, working with Prof. Mohamed Abdel-Aty. My research connects traffic behavior, roadway conditions, and emerging vehicle technologies with crash risk and injury outcomes.

I received my Ph.D. in Traffic and Transportation Engineering from the School of Transportation at Southeast University in 2023. My undergraduate and master’s studies were also completed in the same school.

Academic appointments

Sep 2023 - Present

Postdoctoral Researcher

Smart & Safe Transportation Lab, College of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Central Florida

Research on AI-driven transportation safety, connected-vehicle trajectory and video analytics, causal crash-risk modeling, ADAS/CAV safety evaluation, and multimodal near-miss/crash understanding. Advisor: Prof. Mohamed Abdel-Aty.

May 2022 - Aug 2022

Volunteer Teaching Faculty

Tibet University

Taught Advanced Technologies for Road and Interchange Design and Modern Roadbed and Pavement Materials.

Education

Ph.D. awarded 2023

B.Eng., M.Eng., and Ph.D. in Traffic and Transportation Engineering

School of Transportation, Southeast University

Dissertation: Driving behavior and safety analysis of expressway interchange exit ramp in plateau environment.

Advisors: Prof. Jianchuan Cheng and Prof. Fei Chen.

Engineering practice

July 2012 - January 2019

Project Leader

China Design Group Co., Ltd.

Professional review and design of roadbed and pavement, special roadbed and protection engineering, and provincial highway infrastructure projects.

Teaching & mentoring

Volunteer Teaching Faculty, Tibet University, May - August 2022

Advanced Technologies for Road and Interchange Design

Undergraduate course, 78 students

Modern Roadbed and Pavement Materials

Graduate course, 17 students

Research mentoring

Contributes to doctoral and graduate research mentoring at the University of Central Florida and Southeast University.

Doctoral committee service

Ph.D. committee member for Sanjida Afroz Iqra, Md Mushtaque Tahmid and Abu Saif Md Nasim Uddin.

Methods & tools

Methods

  • Causal inference
  • Bayesian and random-parameter models
  • Deep learning
  • Multimodal machine learning

Data and Tools

  • Python
  • R
  • PyTorch / TensorFlow / scikit-learn
  • ArcGIS / GeoPandas / Google Earth Engine
  • SUMO / CARLA / VISSIM / UC-win/road / Abaqus
  • MATLAB

Selected recognition

2023

National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation

China Highway and Transportation Society

2023

Outstanding Reviewer Award

Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, ASCE

2023

Best Paper Award

ICP 2023 International Conference on Psychology

2022

National Scholarship for Ph.D. Candidate

Southeast University

2022

Academic Innovation Award

Southeast University

Editorial service

Early Career Editorial Board Member

Infrastructures, 2025 - Present

Guest Editor, Infrastructures

Special issues: Data-Driven Innovations in Smart and Safe Transportation Infrastructure; Recent Progress in Transportation Infrastructures.

Guest Editor, Sustainability

Special issue: Intelligent Transportation Systems Applications for Sustainability and Safety.

Guest Editor, Frontiers in Marine Science

Special issue: Data-Driven Maritime Safety and Security for Sustainable Oceans: Towards Nature-Positive, Low-Impact Operations.

Special-Issue Editorial Board Member

AI-Transportation-Energy Integration, China Journal of Highway and Transport.

Professional service

IEEE Senior Member

Orlando Section, 2023 - Present

ASCE Member

2023 - Present; Transportation & Development Institute, 2026 - Present

World Transport Convention Technical Committees

Youth Member, GL0403 Green and Sustainable Development of Road Infrastructure and JT0603 Traffic Facilities Safety and Emergency Management, December 2023 - October 2026.

CSCE Multi-Hazard and Structural Resilience Committee

Associate Member, Structures Division, August 2026 - Present

Qualifications

Engineer Intern, Florida

Certified October 2025

PE Civil Examination

Passed August 2026; exam completion is distinct from professional engineer licensure.

FE Civil Examination

Passed May 2025

Registered Road Engineer, China

2020

Registered Geotechnical Engineer, China

2017

Selected presentations

SAVeD Dataset

Lecture presenter, 105th TRB Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2026

Difference in Perception-Reaction Time of Plain and Plateau Drivers at Expressway Exit Ramps

Lecture presenter, 104th TRB Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 2025

Peer review & languages

Peer reviewer for journals in transportation engineering and safety. Recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award from the ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems.

Languages English (fluent) and Chinese (native)

Contact

Let's connect.

I welcome collaborations on proactive traffic safety, human factors and roadway design, automated vehicle safety, and multimodal traffic scene understanding.

chenzhu.wang@ucf.edu

Smart & Safe Transportation Lab
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida, USA

Google Scholar