CUE Distinguished Seminar Series - Kara Kockelman

About the Speaker

Kara Kockelman is the Dewitt Greer Centennial Professor of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. A nationally recognized expert in transportation engineering, Prof. Kockelman’s pioneering research spans travel demand modeling, autonomous and shared vehicle systems, sustainable transport, and urban planning. She has authored over 200 journal articles and has advised government agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and international bodies on strategies to improve mobility while reducing congestion, energy use, and emissions. Her work is distinguished by its integration of data-driven modeling, economic analysis, and policy evaluation.

Seminar Overview

This seminar will address the transformation of urban mobility in the context of emerging technologies and sustainability goals. Prof. Kockelman will focus on:

• Autonomous and connected vehicles: opportunities, risks, and implications for safety, land use, and travel behavior.
• Shared and electrified mobility: strategies to reduce congestion and emissions while promoting equity.
• Sustainable urban transport planning: integrating policy, infrastructure investment, and behavioral change to design resilient cities.

Drawing on recent projects at UT Austin and collaborations with policy makers, Prof. Kockelman will share insights into how transportation engineering can adapt to rapid technological change and help achieve long-term societal goals in mobility, energy, and climate.