Christopher is currently contributing to the Leveraging a Connected Network of Unattended Micro-Pantries to Reduce Food Waste and Improve Food Security project, creating a large database of all the micro-pantries in the Greater Seattle Area.

Christopher is an undergraduate student at the University of Washington, majoring in Civil Engineering and minoring in Geography.

In the past, Christopher has worked at the Bellevue Department of Transportation where he designed different routes for debris vehicles to navigate after major disasters.

Outside of his academic work, Christopher enjoys hiking, photography, and playing the viola for the UW Philharmonic Orchestra.

• Equity
• Electric vehicle
• Transit data analysis
• Geospatial analysis
• Data visualization
• Traffic safety modeling
• Last-mile delivery

At the University of Washington, Arsalan is involved in several research projects. His works include investigating equity and accessibility of EV charging stations, analyzing transit data, using AI tools to understand the safety of autonomous vehicles, studying public acceptance of autonomous delivery vehicles, and improving curbside access for commercial vehicles.

• Autonomous delivery vehicle acceptance: The moderating role of perceived risk of theft (2025)
• Boston Delivers: Cargo Bike Pilot Evaluation (2025)

• Best Academic Paper, Transportation Research Board (TRB) Freight Planning and Logistics Committee (2025)

Arsalan received his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering, both from the University of Tehran. His Master’s thesis focused on analyzing crash datasets and investigating pedestrian risky behavior.

Arsalan is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Transportation Engineering) at the University of Washington.

Arsalan’s research interests include promoting equity and fairness in transportation, conducting geospatial data analysis, developing data visualization tools, and applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to solve transportation challenges.

• Last-mile delivery
• Sustainability
• Freight transport

• The State of Sustainable Urban Last-Mile Freight Planning in the United States (2024)
• Simulation-Based Analysis of Different Curb Space Type Allocations on Curb Performance (2023)
• An Empirical Taxonomy of Common Curb Zoning Configurations in Seattle (2022)
• Urban Delivery Companies’ Needs and Preferences for Green Loading Zones’ Implementation: A Case Study of NYC (2022)
• Physics-Informed Machine Learning of Parameterized Fundamental Diagrams (2022)
• Roadblocks to Sustainable Urban Freight (2022)
• Identifying the Challenges to Sustainable Urban Last-Mile Deliveries: Perspectives from Public and Private Stakeholders (2022)
• Urban Delivery Company Needs and Preferences for Green Loading Zones Implementation: A Case Study of NYC (2022)
• NYC Zero-Emissions Urban Freight and Green Loading Zones Market Research (2022)
• EVs Need Charging Infrastructure. Is Urban Freight Any Different? (Part II) (2022)

• Fellowship, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

• Ph.D., Transportation Engineering, University of Washington (in progress)
• MPP/M.S., Public Policy and Transportation Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
• B.S., Civil Engineering, Syracuse University

Thomas (Tom) Maxner holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University and a Master of Public Policy and Master of Science in Transportation Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering at the University of Washington.

Before his graduate student career, Tom worked in project management for Clark Construction in Washington, D.C. for seven years, where he managed the construction of several educational facilities and residential buildings. He is interested in improving sustainability in the freight transport sector from maritime shipping to last-mile delivery.

Since relocating to the west coast from Washington, D.C., Tom and his wife have traveled to many National Parks for camping trips.

Tom was awarded a fellowship from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. At Syracuse University, he was awarded the K.L. Lui Memorial Award by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for student organization leadership and community service and was an SU Chancellor’s Scholar. He remains involved with SU as a member of the College of Engineering Young Alumni Board.

• CET 587 (Civil & Environmental Engineering: Transportation) Transportation Logistics (4)
• SCTL 510 (Supply Chain Transportation & Logistics) Freight Transport (5)

• Lab Manager, Urban Freight Lab

• The Impact of Commercial Parking Utilization on Cyclist Behavior in Urban Environments (2020)
• Developing Design Guidelines for Commercial Vehicle Envelopes on Urban Streets (Technical Report) (2020)
• Developing Design Guidelines for Commercial Vehicle Envelopes on Urban Streets (Paper) (2019)
• Measuring Delivery Route Cost Trade-Offs Between Electric-Assist Cargo Bicycles and Delivery Trucks in Dense Urban Areas (2019)
• Factors Impacting Bicyclist Lateral Position and Velocity in Proximity to Commercial Vehicle Loading Zones: Application of a Bicycling Simulator (2019)
• Observing Goods Delivery Activities and Identifying Opportunities to Improve the Design of Commercial Vehicle Load Zones in Seattle (2018)
• Rails-Next-to-Trails: A Methodology for Selecting Appropriate Safety Treatments at Complex Multimodal Intersections (2018)
• Measuring the Cost Trade-Offs Between Electric-Assist Cargo Bikes and Delivery Trucks in Dense Urban Areas (2018)
• Rails-Next-to-Trails: A Methodology for Selecting Appropriate Safety Treatments at Complex Multimodal Intersections (2018)
• Rails-Next-to-Trails: A Methodology for Selecting Appropriate Safety Treatments at Complex Multimodal Intersections (2018)
• Multimodal Intersections: Resolving Conflicts between Trains, Motor Vehicles, Bicyclists and Pedestrians (2017)
• An Examination of the Impact of Commercial Parking Utilization on Cyclist Behavior in Urban Environments (2016)

Manali Sheth holds a Bachelors degree in Ethnomusicology from UCLA and a Master of Urban Planning, with a focus on Transportation, from the University of Washington.