People | Freight Transportation Data Research Lab

Sarah Hernandez, Ph.D., P.E.

Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Arkansas
Phone: 479-575-4182
Email: sarahvh@uark.edu

Sarah Hernandez is an Associate Professor and holds the Walter E. Hicks and Blossom Russell Hicks Endowed Chair for Infrastructure Engineering at the University of Arkansas. She received her PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a specialization in transportation systems engineering from the University of California, Irvine. She holds a M.S. from the University of California, Irvine (Irvine, California) and a B.S. from the University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida). She teaches graduate classes on transportation planning and transportation data analysis. Dr. Hernandez is the faculty advisor for the student chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and a member of ITE. Her research focuses on new and advanced technology applications in transportation systems engineering and is centered on developing tools and methods to collect and analyze freight and commercial vehicle operations data for long range freight planning. Her project portfolio includes work for the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the National Science Foundation, Institute for Trade and Transportation Studies, and the Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center. She serves as a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Standing Committee on Freight Transportation Data and Trucking Industry Research as well as a panelist for the National Science Foundation and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. Brief CV Hernandez July 2022

Research Associates

Graduate Research Assistants

Geoffery Agorku

Background: Geoffery Agorku hails from the Volta Region of Ghana and holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Currently, Geoffery is pursuing a master’s degree in Civil Engineering, specializing in Transportation Engineering, at the University of Arkansas.

Research: With a keen interest in developing innovative solutions for the transportation industry, Geoffery’s research is focused on building a machine learning model to predict the type and quantity of barges transported by vessels on waterways.

Leire Ashqui

Background: Leire Ashqui is from Pamplona, Spain, and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Transportation Engineering at the University of Arkansas. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Christian Brothers University, where she actively participated as a member of the university’s golf team.

Research: Leire is currently working on a project sponsored by the Arkansas State Police to enter paper crash records into an electronic database.

Karla Diaz Corro

Background: Karla Diaz-Corro is currently pursuing her PhD at the Freight Transportation Data Research Lab, having previously earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked as an associate engineer in the traffic/technology team at an engineering consulting firm in Oklahoma City. Passionate about technology’s role in transportation, she believes it can enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Karla is also dedicated to promoting women’s leadership, serving on the Women in ITE Sub-Committee and various other professional organizations.

Research: Karla’s research interests lie in transportation technology and safety. Karla is leading projects for the Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office, including Traffic Safety Campaign Awareness Survey and the Seat Belt study. Her research is devoted to innovative solutions aimed at fostering safer and more efficient transportation systems.

Pratik Babu Pokharel

Background: Pratik completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering in 2021 from Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus. He is currently pursuing his MS in Civil Engineering, with the area of focus in Transportation Engineering.

Research: Pratik’s current research activities include analysis of responses for the Arkansas Safety Awareness Survey and development of a campus transit route improvement plan.

Sagar Silwal

Background: Sagar, originally from Dhading, Nepal, received his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Tribhuvan University in 2022. He is currently pursuing his M.S. in Civil Engineering specializing in transportation engineering at the University of Arkansas.

Research: Sagar joined the Freight Transportation Data Research Lab as a Graduate Research Assistant in August 2024. Under the guidance of Dr. Hernandez, Sagar is working for the ARDOT project on the feasibility of probe data for origin destination estimation. His research interests include traffic modeling, data analytics and the application of advanced technology to enhance the efficiency and safety of transportation systems.

Mehdi Zolali

Background: Mehdi, originally from Tabriz, Iran, is currently serving as a Graduate Assistant in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas. He holds an M.S. in Transportation Engineering from the University of Qazvin (IKIU), where his master thesis focused on driving behavior and driving simulator study. The outcome of his research generated models to predict drivers’ behavior during adverse weather conditions.

Research: Under the guidance of Dr. Hernandez, Mehdi is now pursuing a PhD in Transportation Engineering, specifically in the field of Freight Transportation Data. He is part of the Freight Transportation Data research group, which is utilizing big data to identify commodity flow for future planning and infrastructure requirements.