Smart Mobility LabPenn State Civil & Environmental Engineering

People

We are modelers, programmers, and technology enthusiasts, equal parts curious and stubborn, who enjoy turning hard problems into working systems.

Director

Xianbiao (XB) HuAssociate Professor of Transportation Engineering; Director, Smart Mobility Lab

Postdoctoral Scholars

Tianjia YangPostdoctoral Scholar, since 2024Leads the lab's PA DEP medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle program.

Ph.D. Students

Shuhua HongPh.D. Student, since 2024Planning and investment models for EV charging infrastructure.Yuxin DingPh.D. Student, since 2023LiDAR-based cooperative localization for leader-follower automated driving.Zirui WuPh.D. Student, since 2024Perception and prediction for autonomous driving: lane topology and motion prediction.

Doctor of Engineering Students

Brandon BlairDoctor of Engineering Student, since 2025Doctor of Engineering student.

M.S. Students

Alexander Ubaldo GutierrezM.S. Student, since 2025M.S. student (thesis option).

Undergraduate Researchers

Zoe Elizabeth LathamUndergraduate Researcher, since 2026Undergraduate researcher, URIP / NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium.

Alumni

Our alumni include tenure-track faculty, industry engineers, and researchers in the U.S. and abroad.

NameIn the labNow
Debojyoti (Bishal) BiswasPostdoc, 2025–2026Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Youngstown State University
Yuyan (Annie) PanPostdoc, 2024–2025Postdoctoral Researcher, Louisiana State University
Chenxi ChenPh.D., 2018–2024Software Development Engineer (spatial intelligence), Nexus IQ Technology
Qing TangPh.D., 2018–2023Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Old Dominion University
Yang (Chris) SongPh.D., 2019–2023Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, SUNY Alfred State College
Hongsheng QiAdjunct Research Professor, 2026Associate Professor, Zhejiang University
Yanqiu ChengVisiting Scholar, 2018–2020Assistant Professor, Chang'an University
Yang LiVisiting Scholar, 2018–2019Professor, Guangdong University of Technology
Giovanni DassaM.S., 2022–2024Thesis: Spatial Analysis of Electric Car Charging Station Locations in Illinois.
Kevin ReisM.S., 2020–2021Missouri S&T.
Marie BuckmanM.S., 2020–2021Missouri S&T.
Venkata Siddhartha Naidu ChokkakulaM.S., 2018–2019Missouri S&T.
Harshitha LingamUndergraduate, 2025NASA WISER scholarship (2025).
Alexandria RhoadsUndergraduate, 2023
Victoria Page ButlerUndergraduate, 2023NASA WISER scholarship.
Sarah PetryUndergraduate, 2023Penn State REU.
Shaun TeowUndergraduate, 2023Penn State REU.
Danielle Elizabeth VenutoUndergraduate, 2023Supported by PA DEP grant; medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification.
Deshaun ArringtonUndergraduate, 2020–2021ATMA pooled fund project.
Kara DuongUndergraduate, 2019–2020OURE program; pedestrian studies on impairment and travel safety.
Ashley FillbackUndergraduate, 2018–2019OURE program.
Shihao PanUndergraduate, 2018–2019OURE program; transportation network simulation of the Rocheport (MO) area.
David DoellUndergraduate, 2019CMT driving simulator project.
Matt DeMossUndergraduate, 2019CMT driving simulator project.
David ZhangIntern, 2023–2025Undergraduate student, Columbia University

Student honors

  • 2026

    Harry G. Miller Fellowship in Engineering

    Zirui Wu

  • 2026

    NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium URIP Scholarship

    Zoe Elizabeth Latham

  • 2025

    NASA Women in Science and Engineering Research (WISER) scholarship

    Harshitha Lingam

  • 2024

    IACIP Student Best Presentation Award

    Chenxi Chen

  • 2024

    FEGR Assistantship Stipend Supplement Fund

    Shuhua Hong

  • 2023

    Leo P. Russell Graduate Fellowship, Penn State

    Yang (Chris) Song

  • 2023

    Mark E. and Claire L. Alpert Graduate Fellowship

    Qing Tang

  • 2023

    NASA Women in Science and Engineering Research (WISER) scholarship

    Victoria Page Butler

  • 2023

    FEGR Assistantship Stipend Supplement Fund

    Yuxin Ding

  • 2022

    Leo P. Russell Graduate Fellowship, Penn State

    Qing Tang

  • 2022

    First place, poster competition, Global Symposium on Connected and Automated Vehicles and Infrastructure

    Yang (Chris) Song

  • 2021

    Ozarks Chapter ITE student excellence scholarship

    Qing Tang

  • 2020

    First place, Central Missouri ITE student poster competition

    Qing Tang

  • 2018

    Excellent Paper Award, World Transport Convention

    Qing Tang