The QUT Centre for Data Science is celebrating its graduates. Meet Shubham Sharma who just celebrated his graduation with a PhD!
What was your PhD in?
My PhD focused on addressing a critical challenge in transport engineering: predicting dynamic travel demand within urban networks. Dynamic travel demand refers to the number of people traveling between different zones in a city at specific times of the day. This information, represented by dynamic Origin-Destination (OD) matrices, is vital for devising effective traffic congestion management strategies. While research has been conducted over the past three decades on dynamic travel demand estimation, my thesis aimed to improve the accuracy and scalability of traditional methods for large-scale networks.
How did you come to do a PhD on this? Did things change along the way?
My PhD journey began with a research problem introduced to me by my principal supervisor, Professor Ashish Bhaskar, a leading expert in Intelligent Transportation Systems. Subsequently, Professor Richi Nayak introduced us to advanced feature engineering techniques in data science which became instrumental in developing the solution frameworks. During the first two years of my PhD, I conducted a thorough exploration of existing research in the field. The scope of my research expanded to include a larger framework that involved several key areas: mining multi-view patterns from traffic data collected by a diverse network of sensors, addressing missing data estimation problem, and enhancing both traditional offline and online OD estimation frameworks. This enhancement was achieved through advanced feature engineering and deep learning architectures aimed at improving traffic demand predictions for enhanced proactive traffic management.
How was your PhD journey? Any surprises?
My PhD journey was quite eventful and filled with both challenges and rewards. One significant aspect was navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, which shifted my work to a remote setting. Throughout my PhD, I encountered opportunities to explore my limitations and address them. One of the key lessons I learned was the importance of having clarity on the research problem. At times, the problem seemed quite blurry, especially since I was entering a new domain of research. As I progressed, importance of gaining a deeper understanding of the problem became a crucial takeaway from my experience. Another major insight was the value of interdisciplinary research. My background in Transportation Engineering provided a good foundation for understanding the complexity of the problems I was tackling. Working with industry through the iMOVE project during my internship was also a highlight. It offered me a valuable perspective on how research can translate into real-world impact. Lastly, building lasting friendships along the way made the journey not only productive but also memorable.
Did you anything else at QUT besides your PhD?
Yes, my time at QUT involved a variety of enriching activities beyond my PhD research. I gained valuable classroom experience through tutoring, which allowed me to contribute to the academic community and interact closely with students. I also had the opportunity to work on several research projects at QUT, which was an incredibly rewarding experience. Additionally, I volunteered at numerous events, providing me with new experiences and perspectives.
One of my most memorable volunteer roles was assisting with the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s research showcase events. I also participated in the QUT Open Day, where I engaged with high school students and discussed research as an exciting career option.
I had the privilege of chairing sessions at notable conferences, including the Australasian Transport Research Forum and a Centre of Data Science event.
Among my favourite engagements was hosting workshops with Professor Ashish Bhaskar for the QUT Future You Summit, a high school engagement program. Over the past three years, we organized several workshops where high school students worked in teams to develop innovative solutions to critical transportation problems. These workshops were always enjoyable and received enthusiastic feedback from participants.
How was your experience with the Data Science Centre?
My experience with the Centre for Data Science (CDS) was highly enriching and formative. Professor Ashish Bhaskar introduced me to CDS during the first month of my PhD, and my early involvement included attending seminars and occasional events.
My first major engagement with CDS was presenting my research at the CDS showcase in the first year of my PhD. This opportunity allowed me to discuss my work with peers specializing in advanced data science research, and the feedback I received was both relevant and invaluable. I also had the chance to present at a subsequent CDS showcase, where my growing familiarity with data science principles helped foster more engaging discussions with attendees.
CDS also played a crucial role in extending my research impact beyond QUT. In 2023, CDS funded my participation in the Australian Data Science Network Conference hosted by the University of Adelaide, where I presented my work on advanced missing data imputation methods. This conference broadened my perspective on how data science is influencing various research domains, including social, military, and medical studies.
Additionally, in 2022, CDS co-funded my visit to the Transport Research Board (TRB) annual conference in Washington, DC. This major event, attended by thousands of transportation professionals from around the world, provided me with valuable networking opportunities and exposed me to innovative research ideas.
Overall, CDS has been a significant support throughout my PhD journey, contributing greatly to my knowledge development and providing opportunities to engage with the broader research community.
What’s next – or what are you doing now?
I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, QUT, working with Professor Bhaskar on a promising research project. Though my long-term career goal is to become a professor, I am open for different opportunities, and eager to deepen my research expertise, collaborate with industry professionals, and contribute to innovative solutions for transportation challenges.
Congratulations, Shubham!