Charisma F. Choudhury
cfc@alum.mit.edu
1.
Date of Birth: April 1, 1978
2.
Nationality: Bangladeshi
3.
Education:
PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007
MSc in Transportation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005
BSc in Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology, 2002
4.
Membership of Professional Associations:
Member, Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh
Member, World Conference of Transport Research Society
Fellow, Martin Family Society for Sustainability, MIT
5.
Other Training:
Postdoctoral training, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008
6.
Countries of Work Experience:
Bangladesh, USA, UK, Portugal, Singapore
7.
Languages:
English: good in speaking, reading and writing
Bengali: good in speaking, reading and writing
8.
Employment Record:
i. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Assistant Professor, November 08-Present
Lecturer, April 02-August 02
ii. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
Postdoctoral Research Associate, April 08- October 09, worked part-time since October 08
Research Assistant, September 02- May 03, September 03-August 04, September 05 – August 07
Teaching Assistant, September 04 – May 05
iii. RAND Europe, Cambridge, UK
Analyst, Modeling Group, October 07- March 08
Associate Analyst, Modeling Group, June 05-August 05
iv. Cambridge Systematics, Cambridge, USA
Research Analyst, Modeling Group, May 03- August 03
8. Project Experiences
i. Demand Modelling Projects
1. Name of project: Model development for traffic demand forecast in Dhaka
Year: 2009-2010
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Client: DHUTS Study Team (Katahira & Engineers International)
Main project features: Included 4 components (Developing database for storing DHUTS data,
mode choice model development, and determination of Willingness-to-pay (WTP) for Mass
Rapid Transport and provision of overall technical assistance)
Position held: Team-member (led the component on determination of Willingness-to-pay for
Mass Rapid Transit Systems)
Activities performed: Designed stated-preference (SP) survey for evaluation of mass rapid
transit options in Dhaka (BRT and Metro Rail), trained junior researchers, coordinated the
data collection from more than 1000 respondents, estimated discrete choice models using the
collected data, calculated willingness-to-pay values
2. Name of project: Modelling preference for innovative modes in Lisbon
Year: 2008-2009
Location: Cambridge, USA and Lisbon, Portugal
Client: MIT Portugal Program
Main project features: Designing SP Survey, developing discrete choice models,
microsimulation
Position held: Postdoctoral Researcher
Activities performed: Supervised SP survey design and estimation of discrete choice models,
executed project management tasks, trained junior researchers
3. Name of project: Value of Time (VoT) study for Thames Gateway Bridge
Year: 2007-2008
Location: Cambridge, UK
Client: Halcrow Group
Main project features: Designing SP Survey, developing discrete choice models, determining
VoT
Position held: Analyst
Activities performed: Designing SP Survey, developing discrete choice models, determining
VoT
4. Name of project: Modeling consumer priorities for Mid-Kent Water and Scottish Water
Year: 2007
Location: Cambridge, UK
Client: Mid-Kent Water and Scottish Water
Main project features: Designing SP Survey, developing discrete choice models, determining
WTP for different attributes of water supply
Position held: Analyst
Activities performed: Designing SP Survey, developing discrete choice models, determining
WTP
5. Name of project: Consumer priorities research for gas and electric supply
Year: 2007
Location: Cambridge, UK
Client: Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM)
Main project features: Designing SP Survey, developing discrete choice models, determining
WTP for different attributes of water supply
Position held: Analyst
Activities performed: Developing preliminary discrete choice models
6. Name of project: Consumer preferences for Lottery products
Year: 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
Client: The National Lottery, UK
Main project features: Designing SP Survey, developing discrete choice models
Position held: Associate Analyst
Activities performed: Data analysis and developing preliminary discrete choice models
7. Name of assignment or project: Evaluation of freight demand models
Year: 2003
Location: Cambridge, USA
Client: United States Department of Transport
Main project features: Compilation of state-of-the-art freight and commodity flow models for
different project needs
Positions held: Research Analyst
Activities performed: Literature review and critique of state-of-the-art models
ii. Traffic Analysis Projects
8. Name of project: Review of Traffic Study for Dhaka Elevated Expressway by AECOM
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Client: Bangladesh Bridge Authority
Main project features: Review of the four step traffic model prepared by AECOM as part of
the feasibility study of Dhaka Elevated Expressway
Position held: Team Member
Activities performed: Reviewing the traffic analysis report prepared by AECOM, conduct
scenario analysis using the software CUBE
9.
Name of project: Feasibility study of proposed grade separated structures to alleviate traffic
congestion in Gulshan Avenue, Dhaka
Year: 2010-Present
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Client: Roads and Highways, Dhaka
Main project features: Economic analysis of the impact of the grade separated structures in
Mirpur Road, Dhaka
Position held: Team Member
Activities performed: Coordination and supervision of traffic surveys, analysis of delay
reduction and associated benefits
10. Name of project: Feasibility study of proposed grade separated structures to alleviate traffic
congestion in Mirpur Road, Dhaka (Bangabandhu Corridor)
Year: 2010-2011
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Client: Roads and Highways, Dhaka
Main project features: Economic analysis of the impact of the grade separated structures in
Mirpur Road, Dhaka
Position held: Team Member
Activities performed: Coordination and supervision of traffic surveys, analysis of delay
reduction and associated benefits
11. Name of project: Feasibility study of new roads to alleviate traffic congestion in Airport Road
Year: 2009-2010
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Client: RAJUK
Main project features: Predicting reduction of traffic congestion in Airport Road after
construction of roads between Mohakhali Rail Crossing and Sonargaon Rail crossing and
between Indira Road and Panthapath
Position held: Team Member
Activities performed: Coordination and supervision of roadside O-D surveys, analysis of
network and traffic data and developing O-D matrix for the zones affected by the new road
construction
12. Name of project: Evaluating redesigning options for the railway overpass connecting Bijoy
Sharani and Shaheed Tajuddin Sharani
Year: 2009
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Client: RAJUK
Main project features: Comparison of two candidate redesigning options for the railway
overpass connecting Bijoy Sharani and Shaheed Tajuddin Sharani
Position held: Team Member
Activities performed: Assisted in report preparation
13. Name of project: Evaluating the Impact of Interventions on Network Capacity
Year: 2009-2010
Location: Cambridge, USA and London, UK
Client: Transport for London
Main project features: Quantifying effects of different interventions on network capacity
Position held: Postdoctoral Researcher
Activities performed: Prepared research proposal, formulated methodology, executed project
management tasks, trained and supervised junior researchers
14. Name of project: Modeling Travel Time Variations in Central London
Year: 2008-2009
Location: Cambridge, USA and London, UK
Client: Transport for London
Main project features: Determining effects of different parameters in travel time variations in
Central London
Position held: Postdoctoral Researcher
Activities performed: Prepared research proposal, formulated methodology, executed project
management tasks, trained and supervised junior researchers
iii. Traffic Simulation Projects
15. Name of project: Next Generation Simulation Project (NGSIM)
Year: 2003-2007
Location: Cambridge, USA
Client: US Federal Highways
Main project features: Developing next generation driving behavior models
Position held: Doctoral Researcher
Activities performed: Developed driving behavior models using advanced discrete choice
modeling techniques and validated them in microscopic traffic simulation program
MITSIMLab. Driving behavior models developed for the NGSIM project are being used in
leading commercial simulators including VISSIM, PARAMICS, AIMSUN and TransModeler.
16. Name of project: MITSIMLab Application in Malaysia
Year: 2002-2003
Location: Cambridge, USA
Client: Malaysian University of Science and Technology (MUST)
Main project features: Modification of MITSIMLab for Application in Malaysia
Position held: Graduate Researcher
Activities performed: Developing left hand driving behaviour models for application in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia
17. Name of project: Support of MITSIMLab and DynaMIT-P Applications in Seoul
Year: 2002-2003
Location: Cambridge, USA
Client: Seoul Development Initiative
Main project features: Modification of MITSIMLab for Application in South Korea
Position held: Graduate Researcher
Activities performed: Assisted Seoul Development Initiative in application of MITSIMLab in
Korean networks
iv. Other Projects
18. Name of project: Sustainable Environmental Management Project
Year: 1999
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Client: Sustainable Environmental Management Program, UNHCR
Main project features: Exploring Potential to Use Geo-textiles for Preventing Erosion in
North-Eastern Regions of Bangladesh
Position held: Undergraduate Researcher
Activities performed: Conducted literature reviews and compiled research reports