Our people

Different perspectives.
Shared direction.

Meet the researchers connecting autonomous systems, infrastructure, and transportation at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Handong Yao

Principal investigator

Handong Yao, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering (ECAM)
University of Georgia

Faculty Fellow, Institute of Artificial Intelligence

Connected and automated vehicles · Cyber-physical systems · Smart transportation and infrastructure · AI · Safety

Education

  • Ph.D., Transportation EngineeringHarbin Institute of Technology2020
  • M.S.Harbin Institute of Technology2015
  • B.S.Hefei University of Technology2013

Experience

  • Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Georgia2023–
  • Associate ProfessorHarbin Institute of Technology at Weihai2022–2023
  • Postdoctoral ResearcherUniversity of South Florida2020–2022

Research assistants

The team.

Join the lab
Tianle Zhu

Tianle Zhu

Ph.D. Student · Mechanical Engineering

Cooperative perception, artificial intelligence, and safety.

Education

  • Ph.D., Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Georgia2024–
  • Master’sUniversity of Florida2022–2024
  • Bachelor’sNanjing Forestry University2018–2022
Haohua Que

Haohua Que

Ph.D. Student · Mechanical Engineering

End-to-end autonomous driving, robotics, and computer vision.

Education

  • Ph.D., Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Georgia2025–
  • Bachelor’s, Electronic Information and TechnologyBeijing Forestry University2020–2024

Experience

  • Research AssistantTsinghua University · Sense Lab2023–2025
Qianyi Wu

Qianyi Wu

Ph.D. Student · Civil Engineering

Connected and automated vehicle modeling and simulation, AI, and cyber-physical systems.

Education

  • Ph.D., Civil EngineeringUniversity of Georgia2025–
  • Master’s, Civil EngineeringCentral South University2022–2025
  • Bachelor’s, Civil EngineeringCentral South University2018–2022

Richard Alexander Booth Fritz

Master's Student · IAI

Connected and automated vehicle network optimization and simulation, and AI.

Our community

Former members.

Abhinav Yedla

Undergraduate Student (CS)

Summer 2026

Luke Greenfield

Undergraduate Student (ECAM)

Fall 2025

James Volfson

Young Dawgs Intern · North Oconee High School

Spring 2025