Cai discusses urban sustainability and efforts being made to meet the demands of urban populations while trying to use resources wisely and efficiently. She also shares about her research related to the three revolutions happening in transportation:  electrification, shared mobility and autonomous driving. 

Cai's research team is called Urban Sustainability Modeling & Analysis Research Team (uSMART) and uses agent-based modeling, life cycle assessments, system dynamics, big data analytics, GIS and optimization tools to study the environmental implications of emerging technologies from the systems perspective. The team's research interests include energy-water nexus, emerging transportation systems, energy policy, and sustainable consumption.

Listen to more Purdue Engineering podcast episodes.