ITS-Irvine Faculty Spotlight: Matthew Dean

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

I had a knack for understanding travel patterns (like traffic signal preemption and memorizing signal timing in my hometown). This ignited my curiosity about designing and evaluating transportation systems. That early knack for patterns now fuels my research on integrating electric vehicles into the grid. It's about understanding not just traffic flows but also energy flows and designing systems that are both sustainable and smart. With every line of code and every equation, I'm striving to create a transportation future that leaves no one behind—a future where getting around is simply part of living a healthy, sustainable life.

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

What attracted me to UCI/ITS-Irvine wasn't just the top-notch research but also the chance to work with people from different fields. Here, I can team up with urban planners, public health experts, energy scientists, and economists. My own research connects two very different areas—transportation and power systems—and needs a variety of specialists to tackle it. That's where UCI/ITS-Irvine shines. Our researchers don't stick to one method; they use many different tools and work closely with government agencies, all while producing research that matters around the world. From activity-based models, inductive loop detectors, and freight electrification, amazing things happen at UCI/ITS-Irvine, especially when we team up with UCI partners like APEP.

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

Transportation is a dynamic field, as are we. Embrace lifelong learning by venturing beyond ITS and CEE. You'll be surprised by what you might learn from urban planners, data scientists, or other engineers. Remember, ambiguity and change are inevitable, but structure them around a long-term vision. Set goals for yourself, but allow for adjustments as you discover new passions and opportunities. Seek guidance from mentors, attend seminars, and explore online resources. At UCI/ITS-Irvine, we have a vibrant community of lifelong learners, and we're here to support you every step of the way.

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

I'm deeply invested in vehicle-grid integration, focusing on the interplay between human behavior, regional policies, and innovative business models. This year, with my GSR Angela Yun, we're delving into 'charging-as-a-service', analyzing stakeholder experiences with this pay-as-you-use service model. Additionally, I'm developing integrated transportation-power system models to test smart-charging algorithms across vehicle fleets and exploring reverse causal models for clean energy technology acceptance.

What is a fun fact about you?

I've been bobsledding.