ITS-Irvine Alumni Spotlight: Jiangbo Yu

What is your UCI degree, and when did or do you expect to receive it? 

PhD 2018

If you know, what are your post-graduation plans; or what are your career goals in general? 

Faculty member at McGill University

Who is/was your advisor? 

R. Jayakrishnan

What drew you to UCI?  What do you like best/find as strengths at UCI? 

Reputation of UCI and ITS-Irvine, funding support, location, and weather

How did you become interested in transportation?  And what interests you most right now? 

As someone naturally curious and deeply interested in a wide array of subjects, I find transportation engineering to be the perfect fit for my inquisitive nature. This field stands as a uniquely comprehensive area within engineering, intricately woven into virtually every facet of society. It is not merely a technical discipline; it intersects profoundly with critical societal elements like environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and public health. Transportation engineering plays a pivotal role in promoting social equity, preserving historical contexts, and influencing political and policy decisions. Moreover, it is integral to effective urban planning and management, reflecting its vast scope and significance in our daily lives. My current focus, particularly in the realm of human-machine transportation systems, is a direct continuation of my dissertation research. This focus aligns seamlessly with my interest in exploring the dynamic interactions between humans and advanced transport technologies. Therefore, transportation engineering resonates deeply with me, offering a rich platform to engage with my broad interests and to contribute significantly to this vital field.

What drew you to UCI/ITS-Irvine?  What do you like best/find as strengths at UCI/ITS-Irvine? 

Funding opportunities, kind people

Is there anyone at ITS-Irvine who has been particularly helpful, memorable, or supportive? 

• R. Jayakrishnan (helped me a lot about my PhD work and my faculty application) Sarah Hernandez (significantly enhanced the social vibe of ITS-Irvine)
• Victoria Valentine Deguzman (very supportive about my job applications and professional networking)
• Michael F. Hyland (very supportive about my postdoc research and my faculty application)

Are there any programs or activities at ITS-Irvine that you particularly enjoy or find useful? 

The ITS-Irvine programs encouraged me to take a business school course on decision-making, which I am really grateful about.

If you could give students one piece of advice, what would it be?  Or, what was the best piece of advice you received? 

Have a goal, lay a wide and solid foundation for that goal, be patient, and enjoy the journey

What are your research interests and what types of projects are you currently working on? 

I am interested in synergizing human intelligence and machine intelligence for resilient infrastructure and sustainable mobility services. The research projects I am working on are generally on this topic.

What do you consider your most significant research finding or accomplishment thus far?  What are the next steps in this research/what do you have planned? 

Developed a paradigm/research domain of "human-machine transportation systems." My next steps are to obtain fundings and develop programs for continuing development of this research topic.

What are your other plans for future research? 

Continue introducing and developing quantum cognition and quantum computing into the field of transportation engineering

What issues in transportation keep you up at night? 

What is REALLY a good transportation system

Is there someone or something that has inspired you? 

Amos Tversky, Richard Thaler, Jay Forrester, Donella Meadows

What are you watching right now? 

Superstore

What is your favorite book/who is your favorite author?  What are you reading right now? 

Thinking Fast & Slow by Daniel Kahneman

What is a fun fact about you? 

I was trained as a gymnast during my childhood. But I later realized that I like books a lot better.

What is something about you that most people don’t know? 

I like elevator music.

What is your superpower? 

Using analogy