Research

Research Expertise

Optimization and Mathematical Modeling with Applications in: Transportation Networks, Smart and Shared Mobility, Freight and Logistics, Public Transportation System Planning and Operation, Airport Planning and Operations,  Transportation Sustainability, and Transportation Economics.

Funded Projects

Advancing Community-Centric Equitable Systems and Solutions in Mobility (ACCESS-M), a USDOT-funded Mobility Equity Research Center

PI: Y. Sun, Co-PIs: Guo, Q. , Zhou, X., Smith-Colin, J., and Markovic, N. 11/2024 - 10/2026. $2,970,000.

Sponsor: USDOT 

Research Lab - Fare Capping

PI: Sando, T., Co-PI: Y. Sun  06/2024 - 06/2027. $200,000.

Sponsor: Jacksonville Transportation Authority 

Operational Innovations for Efficiency and Accessibility of On-demand Mobility in Rural Areas

PI: Y. Sun, Co-PI: Moses, R.  05/2024 - 04/2025. $150,000.

Sponsor: USDOT through the Rural Equitable and Accessible Transportation (REAT) Center

Planning: HBCU-UP: Strengthening Data Science Research Capacity and Education Programs through Academia-Industry Partnership

PI: Y. Sun, Co-PI: Park, C.  10/2023 - 09/2025. $200,000.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Robustness Assessment of Florida Index for Transportation (FIT) as a Decision-Making Tool in Transportation Planning-Phase 2       

PI: J. Choi, Co-PI: Y. Sun. 04/2022 - 03/2024. $269,196.

Sponsor: Florida Department of Transportation

Evaluating and Validating Technology Options for Estimating Transit Vehicle Occupancy in Real Time       

PI: Y. Sun, Co-PIs: Guo, Q., Guo, Z.,  and Gan, A.   05/2022 - 10/2023. $225,208.

Sponsor: Florida Department of Transportation

Prediction and Mitigation of Harmful Algal Blooms in Biscayne Bay using Advanced Numerical Methods  

PI: Alamdari, N., Co-PI: Y. Sun.  01/2022 - 12/2024. $252,915.

Sponsor: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Excellence in Research: Interoperable Transportation Service Roaming System for Transportation Disadvantaged Populations        

PI: Y. Sun , Co-PIs: Celeste, C.,  and Markovic, N.  09/2021 - 08/2025. $789,942.  

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Research Initiation Award: Automated Distribution of Autonomous Vehicles

PI: Y. Sun, 05/2021 - 12/2025. $359,995.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Optimizing Large-Scale Autonomous Truck Platooning for Energy Efficiency

PI: Y. Sun, 02/2021 - 01/2022. $5,000.

Sponsor: Faculty Research Awards Program, Florida A&M University 

Data-Driven Modeling and Learning of Hurricane Evacuee’s Individual Decision Making under COVID-19 Pandemic 

PI: Y. Sun, Co-PIs: Zhao, T., Jia, M., and Tang, T.  05/2020 - 08/2020. $20,000.

Sponsor: FSU COVID-19 Collaborative Collision Seed Fund 

Improving Hurricane Evacuation Planning by Addressing Evacuees’ Partial-Compliance with Mandatory Orders

PI: Y. Sun, Co-PIs: Zhao, T., Jia, M., and Tang, T.  06/2020 - 06/2021. $25,000.

Sponsor: FSU Multidisciplinary Support (MDS)     

Florida Index for Transportation: A System of Systems Approach to Understanding the Changing Nature of Transportation       

PI: J. Choi, Co-PI: Y. Sun. 07/2019 - 01/2021. $150,000.

Sponsor: Florida Department of Transportation

Enhancing Transportation Accessibility for Aging Population through Mobile Computing and Service Optimization      

PI: Y. Sun , Co-PI: J. Yang. 06/2019 - 06/2020. $15,500.

Sponsor: Institute for Successful Longevity, Florida State University 

FYAP: An Incentive Mechanism to Enable Flexible Peer-to-Peer Ridesharing 

PI: Y. Sun , 05/2019 - 08/2019. $20,000.

Sponsor: Council on Research and Creativity, Office of Research, Florida State University 

Coordinated Airport Facility Development under Uncertainty

PI: Y. Sun , 07/2015 - 07/2016. $10,000.

Sponsor: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration through the Airport Cooperative Research Program 

Integrated, Personalized, Real-Time Traveler Information and Incentive Technology for Optimizing Energy Efficiency in Multimodal Transportation Systems

Y. Sun (Investigator), PI: Lei Zhang, 11/2015 - pr07/2018. $ 4,500,000 

Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy through ARPA-E Program

Evasive Flow Capturing Problem: Optimal Allocation of Weigh-in-Motion Stations, Tollbooths, and Security Checkpoints

Y. Sun (Investigator), PI: Paul Schonfeld, 06/2015 - 11/2015. $ 220,000.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Methods for Improving the Reliability of Transportation Systems

Y. Sun (Investigator), PI: Paul Schonfeld, 01/2016 - 03/2016. $ 120,000.

Sponsor: National Transportation Center, University of Maryland

Efficiency and Reliability in Freight Transportation Systems

Y. Sun (Investigator), PI: Paul Schonfeld, 10/2014 - 12/2015. $ 80,000.

Sponsor: National Transportation Center, University of Maryland

Phased Development of Transportation Projects

Y. Sun (Investigator), PI: Paul Schonfeld, 08/2013 - 09/2014. $ 93,752. 

Sponsor: Mid-Atlantic University Transportation Center

Algorithms for Managing Ridesharing Services

Y. Sun (Investigator), PI: Elise Miller-Hooks, 02/2013 - 06/2013. $ 140,000. 

Sponsor: Maryland Industrial Partnerships and IT Curves