DATE: May 27, 2008
CONTACT:
Ronnie Chowdhury, (864) 656-3313
mac@clemson.edu
WRITER:
Susan Polowczuk, (864) 656-2063
spolowc@clemson.edu
Road to security and safety: civil engineering student studies communication alternatives with Eisenhower Fellowship
CLEMSON — Yan Zhou, a Clemson Ph.D. student in civil engineering, aims to keep traffic flowing in emergencies. To study the possibilities, Zhou has received the 2008 Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship that will provide an estimated $103,500 to research the issue.
Currently, intelligent transportation systems use video cameras, traffic sensors, message signs and advisory radios to monitor and control highway traffic in real time with the aid of wired and wireless communication infrastructure. A single failure can cause a domino effect that results in chaos. Public agencies have a mission to ensure that communication infrastructure not only is in place, but is reliable during extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes and floods.
To meet this requirement, new generation communication alternatives could be the answer to keeping systems up and running efficiently without the risk of failure during emergencies.
"Yan Zhou’s work will focus on finding systematic methods for assessing the cost, reliability and adequacy of communication alternatives for transportation system safety and security,” said Ronnie Chowdhury, Clemson civil engineering assistant professor and adviser. “It is an extremely important work that could mean the difference between life and death or serious injury to travelers during a highway incident or evacuation where prompt response is essential.”
The Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship provides funding for the pursuit of master’s degrees or doctorates in transportation-related fields. The objective of this highly competitive award is to attract qualified students to the fields of transportation education and research and advance transportation workforce development. The program is intended to help upgrade the scope of knowledge of the transportation community in the United States and encompasses all modes of transportation.
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