Directory profile for Dr. Xiaowei Chen

Xiaowei Chen is an incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, set to join in August 2025.

Her research interests span electric mobility, shared mobility, and transportation infrastructure optimization, with a focus on developing intelligent algorithms to enhance system efficiency and sustainability. Dr. Chen applies advanced techniques such as machine learning, reinforcement learning, optimization, and agent-based simulation to address real-world transportation challenges. Prior to joining The University of Alabama, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Purdue University, where she led and contributed to multiple federally and state-funded projects supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Indiana Department of Transportation. Her work addressed emerging challenges in electric vehicle (EV) fleet simulation and management, charging station optimization, and the synthesis of mobility data for current and future EV users.

Dr. Chen’s research has been published in leading academic journals such as Transportation Research Part C, Part D, and Expert Systems with Applications, and has been presented at conferences including the TRB Annual Meeting and the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference. She is deeply committed to student mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and translating her research into actionable tools and policy guidance to support data-informed decision-making in transportation and energy systems.