Jeffrey Baum Presents Crash Analysis Study at Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting

We are thrilled to share some incredible news about Jeffrey Baum, an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) in the Tyler Office. Jeff has achieved a remarkable milestone that showcases his talent, dedication, and passion for making a difference in transportation safety.

As part of his graduate studies at the University of Texas at Tyler, Jeff began a research project aimed at understanding the factors that contribute to severe crashes in rural East Texas communities. This important topic had been largely overlooked in existing research, particularly in the Piney Woods region. What started as a class assignment evolved into a groundbreaking study, co-authored with his professor, Dr. Matthew Vechione of Abilene Christian University, analyzing crash severity using TxDOT CRIS data and advanced machine learning techniques.

Jeff’s work, titled “Analyzing Crash Severity in Texas Piney Woods Areas Using Machine Learning,” was submitted to the Transportation Research Board (TRB), an esteemed part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Out of over 6,000 submissions this year, Jeff’s paper was one of the top 50% selected for the presentation portion of the TRB Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Additionally, Jeff has been chosen for publication in the TRB’s prestigious Transportation Research Record (TRR), and will have one of the select few academic works to be published by the TRB itself.

At the conference, Jeff presented his research during the “Transportation Safety Management Systems from Start to Finish” session. His presentation garnered significant interest from academics, data analysts, state DOT officials, and leaders like Dr. Hillary Isebrands, the U.S. DOT FHWA Safety Engineer/Team Leader. Jeff and Dr. Vechione are now collaborating with potential partners such as the U.S. DOT and Texas A&M’s TTI to further develop their research into practical tools for improving rural roadway safety.

Jeff shared, “This was an amazing opportunity to meet individuals who make a difference in the world of transportation design. I am hopeful that this research will lead to tools that improve safety in rural community roadways, both here in East Texas and beyond.”