Sushmita Bhandari, PhD

Sushmita earned her PhD in civil engineering from the University of Arizona with a minor in Information Science. She also holds an MS in civil engineering with a specialization in transportation engineering from Texas State University. Her academic and professional work focuses on transportation safety, traffic operations, data analytics, and equity in planning and design. In her doctoral research, she developed a multidimensional framework linking safety outcomes, public perception, and environmental context to support more informed and practical transportation decision making. She has contributed to projects with agencies including the Arizona Department of Transportation, the City of Phoenix, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Sushmita has published work in peer-reviewed journals such as the Transportation Research Record and the Journal of Transportation Engineering. She has presented at several conferences, including the Transportation Research Board, the International Conference on Transportation and Development, and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Outside of work, Sushmita enjoys exploring new places, spending time in nature, and caring for her growing collection of plants.