Featured Faculty
Roger Chen
Golisano Institute for Sustainability
Roger Chen received his PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park, and BS and MS degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, all in Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research agenda focuses on sustainable mobility and communities, specifically modeling traveler decisions and interactions with the built and natural environments. Roger is currently an active member and communications coordinator of the NASEM TRB Standing Committee ADB20, on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Travel.
His current research which spans broad areas related to sustainable mobility with collaborators across the RIT campus, and is funded by the UTC Program, USDOT and NSF. Currently his research is funded by an NSF-INFEWS project in collaboration with Prof. Callie Babbitt and Prof. Tom Trabold in GIS considering shifts in transportation logistics to meet the new complexities of food waste management. He is also involved with a second NSF project in collaboration with Prof. Eric Williams in GIS and Prof. Eric Hittinger in CLA and aims to understand how economic and carbon benefits of energy technology vary by household and location.
Recent research topics include examining the interrelationships among: (i) Sense of Place (SOP); (ii) non-motorized access or visits; and (iii) adoption and use of mobile information and communication technologies (ICT) with RIT collaborators, including Prof. Juliee Decker from CLA and Dr. Carli Flynn from GIS. His research also examined eco-driving with Prof. Katie McConky from KGCOE, which has increasingly impacted commercial transport providers, as new forms of vehicle automation and more driver-centric feedback emerge. A third area of recent research includes collaboration with Prof. Nick Robalino of CLA, characterizing the role social networks play in motivating resiliency in transportation infrastructures with shared mobility options.
Finally, Roger engages continuous to analyze data collected from information rich sensor-embedded infrastructure systems, such as smart EV charging stations and automated transit fare collection systems. He is particularly interested in understanding the unfolding trajectories these data reveal about transportation systems that gradually evolve towards an autonomous techno-social ecosystem. The methodological tools developed blend econometric and machine learning/data mining approaches. To the extent possible, digital qualitative data scraped from the internet, such as online reviews and comments, is folded into the analysis to provide context and interpretation. The end products include metrics and user-centric decision-making tools for supporting decisions at all levels, from individual travelers to institutional organizations.
Roger Chen
Assistant Professor
RIT Golisano Institute of Sustainability