Yu-Chen Chu

Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab
Ph.D. Student, Urban Planning and Design, University of Washington

Yu-Chen’s research interests include last-mile delivery and freight equity.

APTF Board Scholarship, American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF), Aug 2024
2024 Dekema Scholarship, California Transportation Scholarship, Aug 2024
Lewis Center Capstone Fellowship, UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, Dec 2023
James A. Ditch Education Fund Scholarship, California Transit Training Consortium (CTTC), Nov 2023
Vanessa Dingley Fellowship, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, UCLA, Sep 2023
Berg & Associates Scholarship, Women’s Transportation Seminar – Los Angeles (WTS – LA), Sep 2023
American Disability Association Scholarship, APTF, Aug 2023
Systra Scholarship, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), Jul 2023

Ph.D., Urban Planning and Design, University of Washington (in progress)
MURP., Urban and Regional Planning, University of California, Los Angeles
B.S. in Agriculture, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, National Taiwan University

Yu-Chen holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from National Taiwan University and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Design at the University of Washington.

At UCLA, she was a graduate research assistant, focusing on community vulnerability research related to wildfire risks, specifically in the context of vehicle electrification, land use, and gentrification.

Prior to her studies at UCLA, she gained practical experience as a landscape designer at AECOM in Taipei, where she worked on complete street designs and regional recreational planning projects.

Her recent publications include:

Chu, Yu-Chen & Taylor, Brian. (2024). “The Impact of SADRs on Vehicle Travel and Emissions: A Focus on On-Demand Food Delivery.” Invited presentation at the 2025 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, the 2025 ASCE International Conference on Transportation & Development, and the 2024 METRANS International Urban Freight Conference.

Zhang, N., Jiang, Q., He, B., & Ma, J. (2024, January 10). Multi-scale vulnerability analysis for transportation electrification under extreme weather events. Paper presented at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

Chu, Yu-Chen & Cheng, Chia-Kuen. (2021). “Effect of Renao Scenes on Relationships between Perceived Crowding and Satisfaction.” Journal of Outdoor Recreation Study (TSSCI), 34(4), 67-98. http://dx.doi.org/10.6130/JORS.202112_34(4).0003

Zhengtao Qin

Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab

qinzhengtao@tongji.edu.cn

Zhengtao’s research interests include urban freight planning, travel behavior, and traffic emission.

Zhengtao is currently undertaking research on the optimization of urban heavy truck route choice to reduce emissions.

Zhengtao Qin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Science from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and a Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering from Beijing University of Technology. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering at Tongji University in China.

She previously interned at the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, where she analyzed daily traffic volume and emission data during an international import exposition.

From July 2024 to July 2025, Zhengtao will be a visiting researcher at the Urban Freight Lab at the University of Washington.

Zhengtao’s recent publications include:

Qin Z, Liang Y, Yang C, et al. Externalities from restrictions: examining the short-run effects of urban core-focused driving restriction policies on air quality. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2023, 119: 103723. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2023.103723
Yu C, Deng Y, Qin Z, et al. Traffic volume and road network structure: Revealing transportation-related factors on PM2. 5 concentrations[J]. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2023, 124: 103935. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2023.103935
Yu C, Qin Z, Lu Y, et al. Integrated strategies for road transportation-related multi-pollutant control: A cross-departmental policy mix[J]. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2024, 132: 104257. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2024.104257

Ph.D., Transportation Engineering, Tongji University (in progress)
M.S., Transportation Engineering, Beijing University of Technology
B.A., Management Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology

Jana Chiang

Net-Zero Logistics Intern, Urban Freight Lab
Undergraduate Student, Community, Environment, and Planning

janac3@uw.edu

Jana’s research interests include last-mile delivery, shared mobility, and logistics in the urban environment.

Jana is gathering and analyzing performance data for Net Zero Logistics final-mile operations in the New York tri-state area and writing a paper on e-cargo bike policy and pilot programs.

Jana Chiang is an undergraduate student pursuing a Community, Environment, and Planning degree at the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington. Jana prides herself on her melon-picking abilities.

B.A., Community, Environment, and Planning degree at the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington (in progress)

Gabor Wehrmueller

Gabor Wehrmueller(no longer at UFL/SCTL)

Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab
MSc., Supply Chain Management

gwehrm@uw.edu

Digitalization of the supply chain

MSc of Supply Chain Management, University of Washington (in progress)
MSc in Applied Information and Data Science, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts
BA in Social Sciences, University of Zurich

Gabor Wehrmueller is a Research Assistant at the Urban Freight Lab and is pursuing a Master’s in Supply Chain Management at Foster School of Business. Before starting his Master’s, Gabor worked for over three years as a data scientist digitalizing the supply chain of a pharma company in Switzerland.

Gabor also holds an MSc in Applied Information and Data Science (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts) and a BA in Social Sciences (University of Zurich).

Jake Paulsene

Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab
B.S., Civil Engineering

paulsej5@uw.edu

Jake Paulsene is a current undergraduate student in the Civil & Environmental Engineering program at the University of Washington. His research interests include studying urban and last-mile freight movement, the intersection between transportation engineering and urban planning policies, and the solutions tackling social equity and justice issues.

Outside of academia, you can find Jake rock climbing or cafe hopping in Seattle.

Urban & last-mile freight movement
Transportation & urban planning policy
Social equity, justice, and safety

B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Washington (in progress)

Travis Fried

Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab
Ph.D. Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering (Transportation Track)
Lab Manager, Urban Freight Lab

tfried3@uw.edu | Wilson Ceramics Lab 111

Publications on Google Scholar

Open data
Public transport mapping
Zero-emissions freight
Urban freight
Shared mobility
Equity and justice

Evaluating Spatial Inequity in Last-Mile Delivery: A National Analysis (2024)
Seeking Equity and Justice in Urban Freight: Where to Look? (2023)
Ecommerce and Logistics Sprawl: A Spatial Exploration of Last-Mile Logistics Platforms (2023)
Seattle Microhub Delivery Pilot: Evaluating Emission Impacts and Stakeholder Engagement (2023)
Ecommerce and Environmental Justice in Metro Seattle (2023)
Ecommerce and Environmental Justice in Metro Seattle U.S. (2022)
Freight’s Role in Delivering Equitable Cities (Part II) (2022)
EVs Need Charging Infrastructure. Is Urban Freight Any Different? (Part I) (2022)
Freight’s Role in Delivering Equitable Cities (Part I) (2022)
Defining Urban Freight Microhubs: A Case Study Analysis (2021)

CUTC Outstanding Student of the Year (Council of University Transportation Centers, 2024)
John S. Adams Award for Excellence in Transportation Research and Education (University of Minnesota, 2018)
Best Student Paper Award (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 2018)
Spatial Mapping Prize (University of Minnesota, 2018)
Walter H. Judd Graduate Fellowship (University of Minnesota, 2017)
Allen & Irene Salisbury Fellowship (Carleton College, 2014)

Ph.D., Transportation Engineering, University of Washington (in progress)
M.S., GIS, University of Minnesota
B.A., Sociology/Anthropology, Carleton College

Travis Fried is a spatial data and urban freight enthusiast with a Master’s degree in GIS from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from Carleton College. Previously, he worked as an urban mobility researcher for World Resources Institute (WRI) studying the environmental, health, and equity impacts of open public transit data, urban freight, shared mobility, transport-related stimulus spending and impact investing – among other topics.

When he’s not making maps, you can find him backpacking somewhere off in the mountains. In fact, Travis has backpacked the entire state of Washington both north to south and east to west.

CET 566: Environmental Analysis & Assessment

Rishi Verma

Rishi Verma(no longer at UFL/SCTL)

Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab
Ph.D. Student, Industrial Engineering

rverma32@uw.edu | Wilson Ceramics Lab 111

Excellence in Education – Norwalk Public Schools (2021)

Ph.D., Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Washington (in progress)
B.S., Operations Research and Engineering (Minors, Computer Science and Music), Cornell University

I hold a BS in Operations Research and Engineering from Cornell University, with minors in Computer Science and Music. After graduating, I became a Teach For America corps member, and spent two years teaching Mathematics at West Rocks Middle School in Norwalk, Connecticut. Currently, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Washington and am serving as a research assistant in the Urban Freight Lab.

Polina Butrina

Polina Butrina(no longer at UFL/SCTL)

Research and Teaching Assistant (2016-18)
Graduate Student, Transportation Engineering (2016-18)

pbutrina@uw.edu

Publications on Google Scholar

Photo by Anna Bovbjerg Alligood: SCTL Center Research Asst., student MSc(Eng.), University of Washington

Nota Goulianou

Nota Goulianou(no longer at UFL/SCTL)

Teaching Assistant, Supply Chain Transportation & Logistics Master's degree program
Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab
Ph.D. Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering (Transportation Track)

pgoul@uw.edu

Publications on Google Scholar

Autonomous freight vehicles
Urban freight
Sustainability
Zero-emissions freight

Gerondelis Foundation Scholarship, Florida Atlantic University

Ph.D., Transportation Engineering, University of Washington (in progress)
M.S., Transportation Engineering, Florida Atlantic University
B.S., Architectural Engineering, Technical University of Crete (Greece)Teaching Assistant, Supply Chain Transportation & Logistics Master’s degree program

Panagiota (Nota) Goulianou holds a bachelor’s in architectural engineering from the Technical University of Crete and a Master of Science in Transportation Engineering from Florida Atlantic University. She is currently continuing her studies in Transportation Engineering as a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington.

During her master’s studies, Nota worked as a graduate research assistant for the Freight Mobility Research Institute (FMRI), where her research focused on intermodal freight transportation and port resilience. She served as the president of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) student chapter (May 2019 – February 2020) and the vice president of the WTS student chapter at FAU.

Teaching Assistant, Supply Chain Transportation & Logistics Master’s degree program

Thomas Maxner

Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab
Ph.D. Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering (Transportation Track)

tmaxner@uw.edu

Publications on Google Scholar

Last-mile delivery
Sustainability
Freight transport

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)

Lab Manager, Urban Freight Lab