April Gadsby

April started her Ph.D. program in January 2018, upon completing a M.S. thesis in civil engineering and B.S. Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech. Her undergraduate and masters research focused on sustainable pavement preservation using 3D sensing technologies. Upon being awarded the NSF Graduate Fellowship in 2017, she decided my research did not perfectly align with my interests and vision for the future of transportation, and am now applying sensing technologies to biking. April is co-advised by Dr. Kari Watkins and Dr. James Tsai. Her research project involves using an instrumented bike and eye tracking glasses to better understand how the environment around the cyclist influences their emotional stress and comfort. Ultimately, this work can contribute to improved performance metrics for cycle facilities and more informed decisions regarding cycle infrastructure design and placement. After April completes her Ph.D., she hopes to continue research and ultimately move into a faculty career.

In addition to my research, April has served as president of ASHE (American Society of Highway Engineers) and ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education). She is currently a team facilitator with the Grand Challenges Program (a program that pushes first year students in teams to tackle grand challenges facing society) and TA Dr. Watkins' Sustainable Transportation Abroad course. In what free time that leaves, April enjoys cycling, weight lifting, cooking, swing dancing, and planning travel.