CCAT Researchers appointed to new CEE professorships

Yafeng Yin and Henry Liu Honored with New Professorships at University of Michigan

CCAT Director Dr. Henry Liu stands in front of a Level 4 autonomous vehicle in front of the Mcity Test Facility

Two highly anticipated CEE professorships have been formally approved by the Board of Regents at their Tuesday, September 26th, meeting. Professors Yafeng Yin and Henry X. Liu have been approved to inaugurate these two professorships in acknowledgment of their distinguished contributions to academia and their respective research areas.

CCAT Director Henry Liu, also a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been appointed the Bruce D. Greenshields Collegiate Professor of Engineering. His term began September 1, 2023, and will continue through August 31, 2028.

Greenshields, a University of Michigan alumnus who made significant contributions to traffic behavior and highway safety, served as a faculty member from 1956 until his 1966 retirement. Like Greenshields, Liu paved his way through academic excellence. His educational journey began at Tsinghua University in Beijing, before he moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, then Utah State University and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He arrived at U-M in 2014.

Liu, who became director of CCAT in 2017, has significantly shaped the academic framework at U-M by breathing new life into the field of transportation studies. He achieved this through substantial contributions to the development of a program focused on Next Generation Transportation Systems, a program that is essential to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering today.

“Bruce D. Greenshields was a pioneer of traffic flow, traffic behavior, and highway safety. His research revolutionized the way that engineers designed the roads we all drive on today. Not only is it an honor to hold a professorship in his name, it is a profound responsibility to continue his work by creating safer roads and inspiring the next generation of engineers.”
Dr. Henry Liu, Bruce D. Greenshields Collegiate Professor of Engineering, University of Michigan

At the same time, Yafeng Yin, chair of U-M’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, was named the Donald Cleveland Collegiate Professor of Engineering. His term began on September 1, 2023, and will continue through August 31, 2028.

After a robust academic journey and significant contributions to his field, Professor and Donald Malloure Department Chair Yafeng Yin has been formally appointed the Donald Cleveland Collegiate Professor of Engineering. His term began on September 1, 2023, and will continue through August 31, 2028. Donald Cleveland, a prominent figure in the field of transportation engineering, completed his education at esteemed institutions including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, and Texas A&M University before joining the University of Michigan in 1965. Decades later, Yin’s professional trajectory began with his education at Tsinghua University and the University of Tokyo, and continued through his post-doctoral research and professorship at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Florida. Since his affiliation with the University of Michigan began in 2017, Professor Yin has echoed Cleveland’s commitment to innovation and learning, leaving a lasting impact on the faculty. Yin is extending Cleveland’s pioneering work in transportation systems analysis and modeling into his role at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. He was pleased to align his professorship with Cleveland’s name in honor, and he strives to follow in Cleveland’s footsteps.

This story was written by Mason Hinawi, Marketing Communications Specialist for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Michigan.