Dr. Kenan Zhang is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the école polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and leads the Laboratory for Human-Oriented Mobility Eco-system (HOMES). Her research focuses on the mathematical modeling, optimization and operations management of urban transportation systems, with special interests in emerging mobility services and technologies.
Kenan obtained her BSc. in Civil Engineering from Tsinghua University and MSc. in Architecture-Engineering-Construction Management (AECM) from Carnegie Mellon University. She completed her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (with a focus on Transportation System Analysis and Planning) and a second MSc. in Statistics at Northwestern University. Prior to joining EPFL, Kenan worked as a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich.
Kenan has been recognized with several honors and awards, including CEE Rising Star and Best Dissertation Award by Chinese Overseas Transportation Association (COTA), as well as fellowships and scholarships throughout her study in China and in the U.S. She is a young member in the TRB Committee on Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics (ACP 50), and a member in the Early Career Editorial Advisory Board of Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies. She also serves as reviewer and guest editor of multiple top transportation research journals.