Abdirashid Dahir

Why are you interested in sustainable energy solutions? I work at the intersection of transportation, environment, and social justice, with a special focus on just transition to low-carbon urban mobility technologies. My research centers around the adoption of emerging transportation technologies with lower carbon footprint than fossil fuel vehicles. I apply transportation engineering, transportation geography and urban planning theories and methods as well as a variety of innovative research tools such as big data analytics, optimizations, and simulations to study equity in just transition to low-carbon urban mobilities.

How are your personal history and vision assets to development and research in energy and sustainability?  I'm actively researching low-carbon urban mobility options under the supervision of my PhD adviser Huyen Le in the department of geography, The Ohio State University. I've completed manuscripts on 'effect of industrial agglomeration on travel mode choice over time', and 'impacts of bicycle facilities on residential property values in 11 US cities'. I've also presented our work on the impacts of bicycle infrastructure on residential property values at Transportation Research Board (TRB)'s 102nd Annual Meeting in Washington DC in January, 2023. In South Korea, I worked at the transportation facility design lab in the Department of Transportation Engineering, the University of Seoul as a research assistant for two years. Under the tutelage of Professor Jaisung Choi, the Principal Editor of the Highway Geometric Design Standards and Regulations for South Korea, I worked on a research project on the innovative approaches to the design of urban roads and streets to help Seoul dwellers wean themselves off cars.

Prior to starting my MSc program at the University of Seoul, I covered flooding and mitigation in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia as part of European Flood Awareness System (Copernicus).

Furthermore, I work with research scholars at Marron Institute of Urban Management at New York University to understand the drivers of transit-infrastructure costs on a global scale through a database with over 500 projects from more than 40 countries. The goal of this research project is to deliver more high-capacity transit projects to give American cities an alternative to a future in thrall to automobiles. The findings from our research project portend significant implications for the advancement of sustainable energy systems in cities which play a critical role in the world's pursuit for a transition to a low-carbon economy as they account for 65% of global energy use according to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

What is your dream job and how will it contribute to a more sustainable energy landscape?  I want to pursue a career in academia, and work at the intersection of transportation and energy. Drawing upon my multidisciplinary background in transportation engineering and geography, the findings from my EmPOWERment research project could help advance understanding of how cities can achieve a just transition from automobile-oriented transportation system to low-carbon urban mobility.

Hobbies/Personal Interests: Jogging, cycling and reading.