ICT student profile: Karzan Bahaaldin

Karzan Bahaaldin, a doctoral student in the Department of Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), has assisted with three ICT research projects: 

• R27-90: Investigation of Contributing Factors Regarding Wrong-Way Driving on Freeways
• R27-118: Development of a Highway Incident Management Operational and Training Guide—Phase 2
• R27-119: Real-Time Information Dissemination Requirements for Illinois per New Federal Rules

He says that being a member of the research teams conducting these projects helped him acquire new skills: “I learned how to write proposals, deliver projects to clients and project owners, and contact stakeholders for decision-making and data-collection purposes. I also learned how to be a good team player and project manager.” Bahaaldin is advised by Ryan Fries, associate professor and graduate program director in the Department of Civil Engineering at SIUE. Bahaaldin also considers Huaguo Zhou, who gave him great support throughout the years of his graduate studies, an outstanding mentor. Zhou, an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Auburn University, was formerly an associate professor at SIUE. Bahaaldin’s dissertation focuses on vehicle communications (V2X) during evacuations using traffic simulation. He expects to receive his PhD in civil engineering in December 2014. Bahaaldin enjoys spending his free time with his family. When they gather, they like to watch soccer games on TV.