Faculty Member Wins Grants for Studies

Dr. Clara Fang, assistant professor of Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical Engineering, has received a grant of $12,000 from the Transportation Research Board and the National Academies as a co-principal investigator working with researchers from the University of Florida to validate and enhance the interchange ramp terminal methodology of the Highway Capacity Manual.

Dr. Fang has also received a grant of $25,000 from the New England University Transportation Center (NEUTC) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. She is the co-principal investigator along with researchers from the University of Vermont on a project that will develop a lead driver typology for traffic simulation and vehicle emissions research.

In addition, Dr. Fang is working with Dr. David Pines, associate professor and chair of Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical engineering on a study of weigh station technologies. The study is sponsored by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The Dean of CETA, Dr. Lou Manzione, chairs the study committee, which comprises a number of experts nationwide. The study is aimed at reviewing the best practices on the topic and identifying implementation strategies for the state of Connecticut.

Dr. Fang also received a WELFund (Women’s Education and Leadership Fund) grant that supported the work of two female undergraduate students this past summer. The young women worked on interactive computer simulation. This grant is the third Dr. Fang has received from the WELFund with the goal of stimulating female students’ interest in engineering.

Finally, Dr. Fang has received a technology education grant from the University to develop a virtual transportation learning laboratory to be used to teach various traffic flow modeling topics in senior-level undergraduate transportation engineering courses.