Distinguished Research Excellence Award Recipient Prof. YANG Hai Delivered Transportation Lecture
Prof. YANG Hai, recipient of the School of Engineering (SENG) Distinguished Research Excellence Award 2025 and Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, delivered a fascinating lecture titled “The Present and Future of Mobility: Shaping Transportation from Ground to Sky” on May 6, 2026. The event attracted an enthusiastic audience of around 100, including faculty members, students, and members of the academic community.
The SENG Research Excellence Award was established in 2011 to recognize and reward faculty members for their research impact and contributions in local, regional, and global contexts. The awards are classified into three categories to encompass faculty members in different stages of their academic career. The most prestigious award among the three categories, the Distinguished Research Excellence Award honors a distinguished faculty member with exceptional research achievements and significant impact both locally and globally.
The lecture kicked off with welcome remarks from Prof. Albert CHUNG, Associate Dean of Engineering (Research and Graduate Studies). He underscored the prestige of the SENG Research Excellence Award, especially its highest honor, the Distinguished Research Excellence Award. He acknowledged Prof. Yang’s world-leading work, which led to significant international impact and set new benchmarks in the field.
In his talk, Prof. Yang discussed three major topics: (1) smart travel demand management in the era of smart transportation, (2) mathematical and economic modeling for on-demand ride-hailing services, and (3) redefining future transportation: synergy of ground and low-altitude air mobilities.
Ranked No. 1 worldwide in transportation research, Prof. Yang is renowned for his pioneering work in transportation system analysis, modeling, optimization, and innovative mobility solutions. His impressive publication record includes over 100 articles in Transportation Research (TR) Part B: Methodological, the most influential journal in the field, and more than 380 papers in SCI/SSCI-indexed journals, culminating in nearly 40,000 citations and an H-index of 103 on Google Scholar. He also served as the Editor-in-Chief of TR Part B: Methodological from 2013 to 2018.
Related link:
- SENG news (Nov 20, 2025): Announcement of the SENG Research Excellence Award 2024-25
