Seminars

Learning for Traffic Control

November 17, 2025

Thank you to Ketan Savla, Associate Professor and John and Dorothy Shea Early Career Chair of Civil Engineering at the University of Southern California, who presented Learning for Traffic Control at the Institute of Transportation Studies Transportation Seminar on Friday, November 14, 2025.

Abstract: The increasing attention to data-driven traffic management and adjacenttechnologies has warranted revisiting transportation models from the perspective ofonline learning and control. We present our contributions in this context for...

Regulating Automated Vehicle Markets

October 27, 2025

Thank you to Nicole Adler, Professor at Hebrew University Business School, who presented Regulating Automated Vehicle Markets at the Institute of Transportation Studies Transportation Seminar on Friday, October 24, 2025.

Abstract: Regulating Automated Vehicle Markets with Dr. Amir Brudner. We examine how the organization of automated vehicle (AV) services influences commuter access, pricing and welfare in suburban areas. A game-theoretic model is developed in which commuters endogenously sort into three groups: non-...

Electric Vehicle Grid Integration: Policy Challenges and Opportunities for a Decarbonized Future

October 13, 2025

Thank you to Alan Jenn, Associate Professor at UC Davis and affiliate at ITS UC Davis Electric Vehicle group, who presented Electric Vehicle Grid Integration: Policy Challenges and Opportunities for a Decarbonized Future at the Institute of Transportation Studies Transportation Seminar on Friday, October 10, 2025.

Abstract: Transportation electrification is reshaping both energy demand and emissions trajectories. This talk provides an overview of research on EV–grid interactions, with a focus on three areas: (1) how widespread EV adoption influences...

Control Across Scales in Traffic Management

October 9, 2025

Thank you to Murat Arcak, Professor of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in UC Berkeley’s EECS department who presented Control Across Scales in Traffic Management at the Institute of Transportation Studies Transportation Seminar on Friday, October 3, 2025.

Abstract: This talk will present hierarchical control and game-theoretic methods for improving traffic management across multiple scales, from vehicles and road links to entire networks. Examples include vehicle and road link control strategies, highlighted by an...

All Hype or All In? The Future of Transportation with Artificial Intelligence

September 29, 2025

Thank you to Kristin White, Transportation Industry Executive and Head of Transportation Strategy & Partnerships at Google, who presented All Hype or All In? The Future of Transportation with Artificial Intelligence at the Institute of Transportation Studies Transportation Seminar on Friday, September 26, 2025.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence is widely hyped as the solution to our most complex transportation challenges. But how do we move beyond the buzzwords and get to meaningful, real-world change? In this talk, Kristin White, Google’s...

The Advanced Research Projects Agency - Infrastructure

September 22, 2025

Thank you to Dr. Vincent Tang, Deputy Director at ARPA-I within the U.S. Department of Transportation, who presented The Advanced Research Projects Agency - Infrastructure at the Institute of Transportation Studies Transportation Seminar on Friday, September 19, 2025.

Abstract: The application of the legendary DARPA model of innovation to transportation through the establishment of ARPA-I is an exceptional opportunity for the U.S. to address foundational challenges across the sector and lead the world in breakthrough transportation technologies. Join us for...

From EVs to the Grid: Unlocking Second-Life Battery Potential with AI

September 15, 2025

Thank you to Simona Onori, Associate Professor in Energy Science and Engineering at Stanford University, who presented From EVs to the Grid: Unlocking Second-Life Battery Potential with AI at the Institute of Transportation Studies Transportation Seminar on Friday, September 12, 2025.

Abstract: The transition to electric mobility is producing a rapidly growing supply of retired lithium-ion batteries, many of which still retain substantial usable capacity. Repurposing these batteries for second-life applications, most notably grid storage, offers a powerful...

Haas and ITS Fireside Chat - Powering the Future: Public-Private Partnerships at the Intersection of Mobility, Autonomy, and AI

May 9, 2025
Powering the Future: Public-Private Partnerships at the Intersection of Mobility, Autonomy, and AI

ITS Affiliated Student PhD Talks

May 6, 2025

The Institute of Transportation Studies celebrated the research of graduating doctoral candidates at a special PhD Transportation Seminar on Friday, May 2, 2025.

Wesley Darling (CEE) - Advised by Professor Michael Cassidy

Can subsidized TNCs trump microtransit in non-urban settings?

Abstract: This research examines whether subsidized transportation network company (TNC) services, such as Uber and Lyft, can offer non-urban communities better service at a lower cost than microtransit. While microtransit reduces per-trip costs...

Planning Evacuations of Communities with High Adoption of EVs

April 28, 2025

Thank you to Ricardo de Castro, UC Merced Mechanical EngineeringAssistant Professor, who presented Planning Evacuations of Communities with High Adoption of EVs at the Institute of Transportation Studies Transportation Seminar on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Abstract: California is quickly embracing zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as a means to decarbonize the transportation sector. According to Executive Order N-79-20, ZEVs will be the only new vehicles allowed to be sold in the state by 2035. At the same time, the state is at high risk of severe weather phenomena, such as wildfires,...