Sean Qian
H.J. Heinz III Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Heinz College
Courtesy Appointment, Electrical and Computer Engineering
H.J. Heinz III Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Heinz College
Courtesy Appointment, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sean Qian is a professor jointly appointed at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He directs the Mobility Data Analytics Center (MAC) at CMU. In 2020, Qian founded a CMU technology spinoff firm, TraffiQure Technologies, to commercialize AI/ML technologies in the infrastructure and mobility service domain.
Qian’s research interest lies in large-scale dynamic network modeling and large-scale data analytics for multi-modal transportation systems, in development of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and in understanding infrastructure system interdependency. His research has been supported by a number of public agencies and private firms, such as NSF, U.S. DOE, U.S. DOT, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), IBM, Honda Research Institute, Fujitsu Inc., Benedum Foundation, and Hillman Foundation. Prof. Qian serves an Associate Editor for Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Transportation Science, Transportmatrica B, and Journal of Public Transportation, and an editorial board editor for Transportation Research Part B: Methodological. Qian is an active member of the Network Modeling Committee and AI Committee of TRB, and the AI Committee of ASCE. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award in 2018 and Greenshields Prize from the Transportation Research Board in 2017.
2012 MS, Statistics, Stanford University
2011 Ph.D., Civil Engineering, UC Davis
2006 MS, Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University
2004 BS, Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University are looking to use “smart loading zones,” designated loading and unloading spaces, to optimize city curb space usage and reduce traffic congestion.
Smart Cities Dive
CEE’s Sean Qian was quoted in Smart Cities Dive about how New York City congestion pricing could disproportionately affect different groups based on their access to public transportation.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
The College of Engineering announced eight new endowed chairs. Four are professors in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
CMU Engineering
Civil Engineering researchers examine how new mobility systems are transforming city curbs into critical infrastructure and develop a framework to model usage and inform future policies.