Ph.D. student Rulla Al-Haideri receives the ‘Best Student Paper’ award at the 2023 Canadian Society of Civil Engineering General Conference
The General Conference for the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering (CSCE), held this year in Moncton, New Brunswick, is an annual international event where civil engineering professionals gather for a four-day conference to share and discuss knowledge and experience on matters such as urbanization, structural, highway, and foundation design. The conference comprises of interactive sessions, keynote speeches, networking events, and presentations of peer-reviewed papers and relevant case studies.
Ph.D. student, Rulla Al-Haideri attended the conference alongside her supervisors, Dr. Karim Ismail and Dr. Adam Weiss, where she presented her paper titled, “Modelling Cyclist Behavior at a Roundabout Approach”. Al-Haideri’s paper aimed to understand and predict the behavior of cyclists when approaching a roundabout. It developed a model that accurately represents how cyclists navigate at a roundabout approach, considering factors such as changes in speed and direction. The research provided valuable insights for refining roundabout designs, enhancing cyclist safety, and optimizing traffic flow.
Competing against papers submitted by national and international participants, Al-Haideri’s innovative and impressive research paper was awarded the ‘Best Student Paper’. Congratulations Rulla!
“My paper presented novel and impactful research on studying interactions at roundabouts. The judges recognized the significance and contribution of my work to the academic community. I made efforts to simplify the technical ideas as much as possible and ensured clear organization, concise writing, and effective communication of ideas in my presentation.”
Rulla Al-Haideri
After spending a significant portion of her academic and professional journey at the University of Sharjah, Rulla joined Carleton University in 2020. With 15 years dedicated to obtaining her degrees and contributing to research at the Sharjah Research Academy and the University of Sharjah, Rulla brings a wealth of experience.
Rulla’s PhD research revolves around exploring discrete choice models in the field of traffic microsimulation. Discrete choice models are statistical tools used to understand how individuals make decisions when presented with various options. In transportation engineering, these models are extensively used to study and predict travel behavior. Specifically, Rulla focuses on studying cyclist-vehicle interactions and vehicle-vehicle interactions. By utilizing discrete choice models, she aims to capture the decision-making processes of both cyclists and drivers, offering insights into traffic dynamics, safety considerations, and potential interventions to improve cyclist-vehicle interactions and overall traffic flow.
Apart from her academic pursuits, she has a passion for various hobbies and interests. She enjoys exploring new places, have achieved several medal wins in table tennis, and revel in outdoor activities such as hiking and photography, which bring her joy and contentment.
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering congratulates Al-Haideri on her achievement and wishes her continued success!
