Mohammad Elayan

Avatar for Mohammad Elayan

Mohammad Elayan

Graduate Student CIVE-PhD Lincoln Transportation Systems Engineering - Advisor: Wissam Kontar University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact

Email
melayan2@huskers.unl.edu
Website

I am a PhD student in Transportation Engineering, with a decade of experience in transportation planning and traffic engineering, including leading roles in Dubai, UAE. My research focuses on how autonomous vehicles navigate trade-offs among safety, efficiency, and interaction in mixed traffic environments. Using high-resolution trajectory data, I quantify these trade-offs and develop learning frameworks that train autonomous agents through machine learning and reinforcement learning to translate observed driving behavior into reproducible engineering solutions. I also serve as a teaching assistant and contribute to collaborative projects in AV-human interaction, traffic safety, simulation and traffic calibration.

Education

Academic Degrees

  • MSc, Civil Engineering – Transportation , Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan
  • BSc, Civil Engineering – Transportation, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan

Employment History

  • University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, US (Graduate Research Assistant/ Graduate Teaching Assistant, January 2023 – Present)
  • TrafQuest, Dubai, UAE (Senior Transportation Engineer, January 2019 – January 2023)
  • TrafQuest, Dubai, UAE (Transportation Engineer, June 2013 – January 2019)
  • Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan (Teaching Assistant, January 2012 – June 2012)
  • Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan (Research Assistant, September 2011 – February 2013)

Area of Research and Professional Interest

  • Empirical analysis of AV interactions and behavior in urban mixed-traffic environments
  • Adaptive and consensus-aware AV control policy design using multi-objective and reinforcement learning frameworks
  • Behavioral trade-off analysis across traffic contexts and automation levels
  • Big data and smart data integration for traffic safety analysis
  • Machine learning for demand forecasting and safety modeling

Teaching Experience

  • CIVE 202 - Civil Engineering Analysis II – University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • CIVE 361 - Principles of Transportation Engineering – University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Surveying Laboratory – Jordan University of Science and Technology 
  • Engineering Statics – Jordan University of Science and Technology

Publications

  • Elayan, M., Karki, S. and Hawkins, J. (2025) “Better Safety Analyses through Smarter Data: Adding Open-Street-View and Traffic Calibrated-LBS Data to Pedestrian Crash Analysis in Lincoln, NE.” Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. 
  • Elayan, M., Aldridge, N., Hawkins, J., & Nam, Y. (2025). “Integrating StreetLight, EPS Smart Location Data and Road Attributes: A Random Forest Approach to Multi-Modal Traffic Calibration in Lincoln, Nebraska.” Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, Vol. 151 (8). 
  • Nam, Y., Hawkins, J., Butler, D., Aldridge, N., Elayan, M. & Yoo, J. (2024) “Modeling Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crash Exposure with Location-Based Service Data.” Nebraska Department of Transportation, Technical Report No. SPR-FY23(025).
  • Al-Khateeb, G., Al-Suleiman, T., Khedaywi, T. and Elayan, M. (2016). “Studying Rutting Performance of Superpave Mixtures Using Unconfined Dynamic Creep and Simple Performance Tests.” Road Materials and Pavement Design, Vol. 19 (2).
  • Alsheyab, M., Khedaywi, T., and Elayan, M. (2013). “Laboratory Study on Solidification/Stabilization of Unwanted Medications Using Asphalt as a Binder.” Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, Vol. 15 (2).
  • Al-Suleiman, T. and Elayan, M. (2013). “Gap Acceptance Behavior at U-turn Median Openings – Case Study in Jordan.” Jordan Journal of Civil Engineering, Vol. 7 (3).

Presentations:

  • Elayan, M., & Kontar, W. (2026). “Learning the Pareto Space of Multi-Objective Autonomous Driving: A Modular, Data-Driven Approach.” Accepted for presentation at the IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV), Detroit, MI, United States.
  • Elayan, M., & Kontar, W. (2026). “A Unified Framework for Consensus-Aware AV Behavior: Trade-offs Across Traffic Contexts.” Accepted for presentation at the TRB 105th Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Armantalab, O., Elayan, M., & Hawkins, J. (2026). “Clustering of Daily Human Activities: Patterns and Socio-Demographic Insights.” Presented at the TRB 105th Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Elayan, M., & Kontar, W. (2025). “Consensus-Aware AV Behavior: Trade-offs Between Safety, Interaction, and Performance in Mixed Urban Traffic.” Presented at the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC), Gold Coast, Australia.
  • Elayan, M., Karki, S., & Hawkins, J. (2025). “Better Safety Analyses through Smarter Data: Adding Open-Street-View and Traffic Calibrated-LBS Data to Pedestrian Crash Analysis in Lincoln, NE.” Presented at the TRB 104th Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.