Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

Staff Bio

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Yun Zhou, Ph.D.
Traffic Safety Research Fellow/Scientist
Email: yun.zhou@ndsu.edu

Yun Zhou is a Research Scientist at the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) at North Dakota State University. Her research focuses on transportation safety, human factors, driver behavior, and evidence-based traffic safety program evaluation. She applies advanced statistical methods and machine learning techniques to identify high-risk driving behaviors, evaluate traffic safety programs, and support data-driven transportation safety policies. Her current research includes impaired driving, distracted driving, young driver safety, and other high-risk driver populations using statewide linked administrative data.

Dr. Zhou works closely with state transportation agencies and traffic safety stakeholders to evaluate highway safety programs and translate research findings into practice. She has presented her research at national transportation safety conferences and contributes to multidisciplinary efforts that improve roadway safety through research, program evaluation, and stakeholder collaboration.

Research Interests

  • Human Factors in Transportation Safety
  • Driver Behavior
  • Traffic Safety Program Evaluation
  • Impaired Driving
  • Distracted Driving
  • Young Driver Safety
  • Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL)
  • Driver Risk Assessment
  • Crash Risk Modeling
  • Linked Administrative Data Analysis

Recent Research Activities/Major Programs of Activity

  • High-Risk Driver Identification Using Linked Administrative Data
  • Driver Behavior and Long-Term Crash Risk Assessment
  • Evaluation of the North Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Program
  • Evaluation of Ignition Interlock and Other Impaired Driving Countermeasures
  • Statewide Distracted Driving Research
  • Young Driver Safety and Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL)
  • Commercial Motor Vehicle and Winter Driving Safety

Employment

  • 2025 – Present, Research Scientist, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI), North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
  • 2022 – 2025, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI), North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
  • 2018 – 2022, Graduate Research Assistant, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI), North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
  • 2017 – 2018, Assistant Researcher in Soybean Breeding, Marketing Assistant, and Operations Support, Brushvale Seed, Inc., Wahpeton, ND
  • 2014 – 2015, Marketing Assistant / Customer Service Representative, Pepsi Beverages Company, Fargo, ND

Education

  • Ph.D., Transportation and Logistics, North Dakota State University, 2022
  • M.S. Applied Statistics, North Dakota State University, 2017
  • B.S. Agricultural Business and Management, University of Minnesota Crookston, 2013
  • A.S. International Trade with Concentration in Agricultural Commodities, Zhejiang Economic and Trade Polytechnic (ZJETP), Hangzhou, China, 2011