Congratulations to PhD student Chuang Chen for his winning paper in the 2022 Student Data Analysis Contest from the Federal Highway Administration.

We asked him to share his experiences as a Washington State University graduate student that have contributed to his success.

Chuang Chen

Name: Chuang Chen

Field of Study: Civil Engineering

Awards: 

  • Best Paper Award, Federal Highway Administration – 2022 Long-Term Infrastructure Performance (LTIP) Student Data Analysis Contest

Q: What does it mean to receive this award?

A: The Long-Term Infrastructure Performance (LTIP) Student Data Analysis Contest, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, is designed to encourage university students to use infrastructure performance data to study the various factors affecting the lifecycles.

I am extremely honored to receive this recognition from those who have contributed so much support and encouragement to my research experience in the fields of data-driven modeling of transportation resilience and development of climate-change informed preservation strategies for life-cycle sustainability of flexible pavement. This study was financially supported by the National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability & Life-Extension (TriDurLE). Special thanks to my co-authors Dr. Yong Deng, my supervisor Dr. Xianming Shi, and Dr. Mengyan Li from Bentley University.

This award provided we with an opportunity to develop a technical paper to document my research and explore a career in transportation infrastructure engineering. I was greatly encouraged as a potential future transportation engineering professional to use quality performance data, applying that data by using the appropriate research methods to derive recommendations, and using that data to make informed decisions.

Q: Why did you choose WSU and your program for grad school?

A: I had worked on two projects as a research assistant before joining WSU. The projects focused on modeling the macroscopic effects of winter road maintenance operations on traffic mobility in Washington highways and incorporating connected vehicle technologies into emergency evacuation during winter weather in the Pacific Northwest. The academic and research opportunities offered by WSU perfectly fit my interests and background and help support my professional goals.

The Smart and Green Infrastructure (SGI) group at WSU provides not only climate change resilience, but also many health and wellbeing benefits that improve the quality of life of citizens. We strive to develop key strategies to make our infrastructure more durable, sustainable, and resilient, and make a difference in reducing the footprint of civil infrastructure. We can also build stronger or better infrastructure to prepare for and adapt to climate changes, incorporating model-based strategies that can help protect transportation infrastructure.

Q: How did you get interested in this field of research? Why do you think it’s important?

A: My research interests originated amongst areas of multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary projects that address environmental and economic problems. My current research focuses on data-driven modeling of transportation resilience, with particular emphasis on development of climate-change informed preservation strategies for life-cycle sustainability of flexible pavement.

This field of research addresses approaches to infrastructure systems focusing on resiliency and sustainability of interconnected infrastructure.

Q: How is grad school different than your undergraduate experience?

A: Graduate study is considered as a self-learning pattern and on its own merit. You’ll find that your fellow students are often ready with insights, ideas and support to help you do even better.

You’ll have to think on a different level. In undergraduate work, the focus is on learning information; it’s about memorization and understanding concepts. Graduate school is different. You move from theory to real-world applications. Where undergraduate is about gaining a broad understanding of a topic, graduate school is a much deeper dive into the intricacies of the field. The thinking is different with more of a focus on how you construct your arguments, what your sources of information are, and how you apply it.

Q: What advice would you give to students thinking about grad school?

A: Ask yourself two questions:

“Are you really interested in doing research?”

“Which research field are you interested in?”

Be ready for the additional effort. Research means “search again and again”. Be ready to spend more time on research and writing. The time you spend studying is much more active in the graduate world.

You’ll need to switch your focus from learning information to applying it. More of your time will be dedicated to seeing one topic from many different angles and then finding your own point of view about it. Rather than memorizing, you’re training your mind to use information in a new way.

Q: What do you like to do on the Palouse when you’re not working/studying?

A: Work out, hiking and road trips are my all-time favorites. I enjoy sunshine and the beautiful view of the rolling hills.