H. Oliver Gao | Cornell Engineering

Biography

Dr. Gao is the Director of the Cornell Systems Engineering and Howard Simpson Professor of Engineering at Cornell University. Gao is an international leading expert in urban infrastructure, transportation, and health (environmental health, public health) systems analytics/modeling and innovation for healthy living in smart communities. His research focuses on urban technology, data science, integrated computational engineering models, and trans-disciplinary systems solutions for intelligent urban systems, low carbon and low emission transportation, and human-centered urban design for environment and public health. He is an elected member in the graduate fields of 1) Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2) Computer Science and Engineering; 3) Air Quality in Earth and Atmospheric Science, and 4) Systems Engineering at Cornell University.

As the founding director, Gao spearheads cross-disciplinary systems research at the Center for Transportation, Environment, and Community Health (CTECH). Leveraging behavioral and economic sciences, epidemiology, information technology, and environmental and transportation sciences and technologies, Gao leads CTECH with a vision for systems innovations in research, teaching, and workforce development through diversity that support sustainable mobility of people and goods while preserving the environment and improving community health.

The Cornell University Post-Processing Software (CU-PPS) for air quality and congestion management developed by Gao’s group is the nation’s first web-based software integrating activity-based travel demand models with EPA MOVES model. It is the official software in use for New York City to ensure that transportation plans and programs will not cause any new violations of federal air quality standards, hence protecting a population of 12.4 million in NYC metro area. In 2014-2018, he served as the Editor-in-Chief of Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. Before joining Cornell, Gao was a QUANT in the mathematical and econometrical modeling division at the TRG Management LP, (also known as The Rohatyn Group (TRG)), a Wall Street hedge fund specializing in emerging markets.

Research Interests

Gao’s research interests include urban technology, data science, networks/complex systems, engineering computing, statistics/econometrics, and mathematical optimization & operations research for Urban Infrastructure/Technology Systems, Healthy Community, and Smart Cities.

Cooperative networked built-and-natural environment: Computational infrastructure and environment system sustainability management and optimization for the protection of human health and natural systems; inter-relationship between infrastructure and air quality, multi-scale air quality modeling– linking health risks modeling to air quality, infrastructure investment, and policy
Urban Tech innovation and assessment for clean transportation and community health: (hybrid-diesel electrical technology, alternative fuels, diesel retrofit, congestion pricing)— measurement, integrated modeling, and systems analytics of environment and health impacts from alternative vehicle/engine/fuel technologies and policy innovation
Data science, artificial intelligence, and systems analytics for the planning and management of complex systems/networks: integrated infrastructure and environment/energy systems modeling and advanced decision methodologies (e.g., low carbon and low emission transportation systems; complex systems of coupled transportation, environment and energy networks)
Cyber-innovation in data-driven high-fidelity urban informatics for healthy living in smart & sustainable cities: air quality and exposure monitoring, cellular microwave networks for air quality and precipitation monitoring, advanced travelers’ general information systems (ATGIS)
Performance-based engineering and life-cycle management of infrastructure and technology systems: mathematical modeling and control theory for life-cycle management optimization of sustainable infrastructure and environment systems–technology, system analytics, and decision science
Green supply chain and logistics: low carbon agriculture systems and food supply chains; mathematical systems modeling and policy analyses for food security and carbon policy

Transportation
Complex Systems, Network Science and Computation
Data Mining
Data Science
Health Systems
Energy Systems
Information Theory and Communications
Scientific Computing
Systems and Networking
Infrastructure Systems
Energy and the Environment
Transportation Systems Engineering
Algorithms

Teaching Interests

CEE 4650/6650: Transportation systems and air quality planning and modeling
SYSEN 5300/5310: Systems engineering and six sigma for the design and operation of reliable systems (including Distance Learning)
SYSEN 5400: Theory and application of systems architecting (including Distance Learning)
SYSEN 5450: Managing and Modeling Complex Systems for Organizational Leaders
SYSEN6000: Foundation of Complex Systems
SYSEN 6100: Ezra Roundtable Systems Seminar Series

Select Publications

Pan, Shuai, L. Gan, J. Jung, W. Yu, A. Roy, L. Diao, W. Jeon, A. Souri, H. O. Gao, Y Choi (2023). Quantifying the premature mortality and economic loss from wildfire-induced PM2.5 in the contiguous U.S., Volume 875, 162614, Science of Total Environment.
Pan, S.P, Wendi Yu, L. Fultonc, J. Junge, Y. Choi, and H. O. Gao (2023). Impacts of the large-scale use of passenger electric vehicles on public health in 30 U.S. metropolitan areas, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review.
Ren, Feihong, Zhen Liu, Hua Bai, Zhaowen Qiu, H O. Gao (2023). Trees help reduce street-side air pollution: A focus on cyclist and pedestrian exposure risk. Building and Environment.
Jingwen Gao, Zhaowen Qiu, Wen Cheng, H O. Gao (2022). Children’s exposure to BC and PM and respiratory tract deposited dose while commuting to school, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.
Baghestani, A., M. Tayarani, R. Nadafianshahamabadi, M. Allahviranloo, and H. O. Gao (2022). New York City Cordon Pricing and Its Impacts on Disparity, Transit Accessibility, Air Quality, and Health, Case Studies on Transport Policy.

Select Awards and Honors

James and Mary Tien Excellence in Teaching Award (Cornell, College of Engineering) 2010
Nomination: Kendall S. Carpenter Memorial Advising Award (Cornell University) 2010
University of California Transportation Center Ph.D. Dissertation Award 2004
NSF Future Engineering Education Scholars (EES) Award 2002
Nortel Business Plan Competition Award, and IET International Fellowship 1998