SUYASH CHANDRA VISHNOI PhD CE (Transportation Engineering)

Statement of Purpose

Rigorous courses, academic projects and research paper writing during undergraduate studies,
have confirmed my proclivity for a career in academic research. Transportation and Planning is
the area of research that attracts me the most because of the interdisciplinary nature of
research opportunities it provides. Research in this field is especially suited to my interest in
mathematical modelling, data mining and computer programming, which I have developed
through projects at undergraduate level.

My expedition with research began through a project on non-destructive testing of

concrete at IIT (BHU) Varanasi in the summers following freshman year. Working in an
environment of uncertainty related to testing was exciting. I had another taste of academic
projects in the form of a geospatial surveying camp in sophomore year. I enjoyed leading a
group of students, planning the surveying operation, compiling and processing GPS data to
remove accumulated errors and preparing the topographical map of a village near Roorkee. It
also got me interested in technology oriented research.

Transportation engineering first captured my interest during a course on highway and

traffic engineering in the subsequent semester. I was fascinated by the mathematical concepts
derived from observations in human behavior. An inspiring guest lecture on Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) by Dr. Ramadurai of IIT Madras, around the same time, motivated
me to work in the field of transportation at ITS Lab, IIT Madras. I spent the following summer,
handling large data sets and mining patterns in acceleration-deceleration rates of buses from
GPS Data of bus trajectories. My work helped in advancing the research on an algorithm to
mine latent bus stop locations using only trajectory data. I enjoyed using my computer
programming skills to perform statistical analysis and learning new data structures. This project
made me realize my interest in data mining which I pursued in the form of self study and
elective courses on Data Mining and Artificial Neural Networks in successive semesters.

In winters, I approached Dr. Indrajit Ghosh of IIT Roorkee, to work on a project that
would allow me expand my data analysis repertoire. I started working alongside his PhD
scholar, on developing a robust procedure for calibrating the micro-simulation software VISSIM
to simulate uncontrolled intersection traffic. It was exciting to derive inferences from field data
and implementing in the software to replicate actual driving behavior. I reduced the time
needed for the process by several hours by coding the algorithms for sensitivity analysis and
Genetic Algorithm based calibration of parameters in the Component Object Model interface of
VISSIM, which allows for control of VISSIM through a script.

While studying the literature on traffic micro-simulations, I was intrigued by the concept
of car-following models, which I later explored while working with Dr. Munigety, a Research
Scientist at Centre for infrastructure, Sustainable Transport and Urban Planning, Indian Institute
of Science (IISc) Bangalore. With him I wrote two research papers, one on a socio-physical
system based car-following model and the other on an acceleration threshold based multi-
regime car-following model. Both papers got accepted for TRB 97th Annual Meeting,
Washington DC, for presentations in a session of Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics.

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SUYASH CHANDRA VISHNOI PhD CE (Transportation Engineering)

Developing a novel car-following model by incorporating the dynamics of a spring-mass-damper

physical system was fascinating. I enjoyed formulating equations and testing their relevance in
typical car-following scenarios, conformity to traffic macro-flow relationships and validity with
field data. I loved performing auxiliary comparative studies on error measures and calibration
techniques to improve the tenability of our results. I also proved the spring-mass-damper
model to be asymptotically and locally stable in steady state. Applying calculus and transforms
as tools to prove convoluted ideas elated the math fanatic within me. Besides that,
participating in brain-storming sessions with Dr. Abdul Pinjari, who had just recently joined IISc,
on a multi-leader car following model presented me with new perspectives on the of topic car
following and research in general. This internship sparked my love for mathematical modelling
which I seek to pursue in my research. It also inculcated in me a habit of constantly referring to
journals and conference proceedings to glean in-depth knowledge of different topics in
transportation and planning.

My research interests centre around my love for mathematical modelling and data
analysis. I want to work on traffic flow modelling, especially for critical cases of congestion,
accident prone sections or to study the effect of specific facilities; formulating explanatory
models and providing solutions in the form of ITS and connected vehicle technology. In addition
to that, I seek to develop efficient and safe public transit systems; exploring concepts like travel
behavior, demand and choice modelling, ridesharing, smart transit and network optimization. I
believe that my graduate level courses on Geodesy and GPS surveying, GIS and Geometric
Design, among others, enable me to carry out interdisciplinary research on these topics.

I want to work in an environment that inspires original and high quality research. My
work should not just be built on abstract ideas but should have real world applicability. This is
all the more reason for my desire to carry out doctoral research at UT Austin, where
researchers work in close collaboration with government departments of transportation.
Moreover, the Centre for Transportation Research, with its data oriented research centers,
presents the perfect opportunity for me to explore the aforementioned interests.

Completing doctoral studies, I aspire to become an academic researcher and teacher in

transportation area, dealing with problems related to public transport, congestion and traffic
safety, by creating economical models and efficient planning of facilities, while educating young
minds about the same. I also want to work on the implementation of advanced technology like
connected and autonomous vehicles in both developed as well as developing countries.
Doctoral studies at UT Austin will help me hone my skills while working with diverse groups,
learning about different cultures and their problems, and applying that knowledge for
advancement of transportation systems across the globe and betterment of the society at
large.