Clemson University researcher named Mays Professor of Transportation Engineering

Published: February 8, 2011

Ronnie Chowdhury image by: Clemson University

CLEMSON — Ronnie Chowdhury, a Clemson University associate professor of civil engineering, has been named the Eugene Douglas Mays Professor of Transportation Engineering.

Chowdhury is an expert in intelligent transportation systems, a field that uses information technology in conjunction with roads and vehicles to address problems like traffic congestion, safety and fuel consumption. His research also includes vehicle-infrastructure integration, security and energy with sponsorships from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Transportation, state departments of transportation and national transportation centers.     

"The selection of Dr. Chowdhury to this professorship is in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the field of transportation engineering, outstanding collaboration activities with other faculty, and is a fulfillment to the will of the Mays family," said Esin Gulari, dean of the College of Engineering and Science.  

The Mays professorship was established through a trust by Patricia Eversfield White in honor of her stepfather, Eugene Douglas Mays, who graduated from Clemson in 1912.  

Chowdhury came to Clemson in 2004 from the University of Dayton, where he was an assistant professor of civil engineering for four years. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1995, he spent five years in industry, rising to the position of senior systems engineer with Iteris Inc., a technology company that develops applications to reduce traffic congestion, minimize the environmental impact of traffic and improve the safety of surface transportation systems.

Chowdhury is the co-author of two textbooks on intelligent transportation systems and is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He recently was elected to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Intelligent Transportation Systems Society Board of Governors. He is an associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on ITS and the Journal of ITS, and also is on the editorial board of the Journal of Transportation Security. He was the editor of a special issue of the Journal of ITS published last year.

"Dr. Chowdhury has been very successful in the classroom as well as in research," said Nadim Aziz, chairman of the civil engineering department. "He has sustained a strong research program with support from national and state sponsors. His expertise is well sought after by outside entities, including academia and industry in the United States and abroad. He is a true asset to Clemson University."

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