Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering Yisha Xiang is participating in a multi-university research team led by Xiao Liu, the David M. McKenney Family Associate Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, which has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The project, “AccelNet Implementation Phase 1: International Networks Towards Future Resilience of U.S. Urban Socio-Technical Systems,” brings together experts across the country and around the world to tackle one of society’s most pressing challenges: building resilient cities for the future.
“I’m excited to contribute my expertise in decision making under uncertainty to this project, which tackles the urgent challenges of urban resilience by accelerating the collaboration across domestic and international research networks focused on socio-technical systems. My research group at UH has developed novel decision intelligence tools that enable robust, adaptive decisions hedging against various uncertainties and vulnerabilities,” said Xiang.
Principal investigator Liu is joined by co-PIs from five universities: Hiba Baroud (Vanderbilt University), Linyin Cheng and Song Yang (University of Arkansas), Jennifer Pazour (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), Yisha Xiang (University of Houston), and Xiang Zhou (Harvard University). Together, they are launching Resilient-NET, a collaborative research team and network designed to connect U.S. and international research communities focused on the resilience of urban socio-technical systems.
The project takes a holistic approach to urban resilience, focusing on three interwoven dimensions:
- Technology (the “New Dimension”) — examining the integration of AI-enabled systems into infrastructure and mobility networks.
- People (the “Missing Puzzle”) — exploring the complex and evolving interactions between humans and technology.
- Environment (the “Uncertainty Accelerator”) — addressing the rising frequency of extreme natural events that disrupt urban systems, with the goal of improving predictive modeling, disaster preparedness, and the development of urban digital twins.
“A central focus of this project is the integration of the technology, people, and environment,” Xiang added. “The complex interaction between humans and technology makes decision making impactful and challenging. I look forward to working with experts in different disciplines including data science, urban resilience, transportation, and social science, to create trustworthy decision intelligence methods to enhance the resilience of our urban systems.”
By combining these perspectives, the team aims to generate new insights into how technology, society, and climate intersect, and to chart pathways toward resilient, sustainable, and livable cities.
“Our vision is that Resilient-NET will serve as a bridge, linking disciplines, institutions, and countries, to build cities that are not only technologically advanced, but also safe, welcoming, and adaptable for generations to come,” said Liu.
Looking ahead, the researchers envision Resilient-NET as a long-term hub that not only advances scientific understanding but also equips students and early-career researchers with global leadership skills. At a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping infrastructure and mobility, Xiang and collaborators see this work as critical to ensuring that urban systems continue to function in the face of uncertainty.