National Capital Region Research Development Team names Kevin Heaslip research leader for resilience
Kevin P. Heaslip, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering in College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been named research leader for resilience for the National Capital Region Research Development Team.
Heaslip is assuming this role following the retirement of resilience expert Jack Harrald.
Heaslip’s areas of expertise include measurement of system resilience, transportation resilience, transportation engineering, public transportation, and urban transportation planning.
As research leader in the area of resilience, Heaslip’s responsibilities include identifying new funding opportunities early in the program development; interfacing with key government agencies, companies, and non-profit organizations to help establish Virginia Tech as a key contributor to their resilience research priorities; and developing collaborations with national and international partners to support major research proposal activities.
“Kevin will support faculty and administration both in Blacksburg and in the National Capital Region to identify opportunities, coordinate and develop proposals, and secure large research grants and contracts,” said Sanjay Raman, director of the Research Development Team and associate vice president in the National Capital Region.
“We are pleased to welcome Kevin to the Research Development Team,” Raman said. “His experience and dedication will be invaluable as the university continues to build its research capabilities in the area of resilience.”
Heaslip earned his bachelor's degree and master’s degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts. He was honored as the Virginia Tech Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Outstanding Young Alumnus for 2013-14 and as the 2014 University of Massachusetts Amherst Institute of Transportation Engineers Outstanding Alumni.
Heaslip joined Virginia Tech in 2014 from Utah State University where he had been on the faculty since 2008, most recently as associate professor. He also served as associate director of the Utah Transportation Center of Logan, Utah, from July 2011 to August 2014.
At Utah State, Heaslip participated in almost $16 million in funded research with more than $6 million in personal share. His work included such projects as the implementation of a pavement management system for the Forest Service; alternative and unconventional energy research and development for the U.S. Department of Energy; safety enhancement programs for local governments for the Utah Department of Transportation; and highway work zone safety issues for the Federal Highway Administration.
Heaslip's ongoing work includes research with colleagues at Utah State, funded from a $1.2 million National Science Foundation grant that addresses driverless vehicle system security from bumper to bumper to discover how resilient such systems are to manipulation from hackers and malicious attacks.
Heaslip’s professional experience includes a stint as an adjunct functional analyst for Alion Science and Technology of Alexandria, Virginia, since 2008. He also served as a science advisor to Alion from 2006 to 2008. He was a traffic engineer for Gannett Fleming, Inc., Newport News, Virginia, from 2003 to 2004.
Heaslip is a member of the National Academy of Science Resilient America Roundtable and has served as co-chair of the Intelligent Transportation Society America Electronic Payment Systems Special Interest Group since 2008. He is a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Committees on Signing and Marking Materials, Work Zone Traffic Control, and Vehicle Highway Automation. He is also a member of the Intelligent Transportation Society America’s Emerging Technology Forum and the Institute of Transportation Engineers Transportation Curriculum Advisory Committee.
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