Ezra’s Round Table / Systems Seminar: Stephane Hess (Leeds)
Bio:
Stephane Hess is an internationally recognized expert in the analysis of human decision making using advanced mathematical models, with a key focus on travel behavior. His work has made contributions to the state of the art in the specification, estimation and interpretation of such models, as well as in facilitating the transition of ideas and approaches across disciplines, notably by also working in mathematical psychology and behavioral economics. Together with David Palma, he is a developer of Apollo, a highly flexible and powerful free tool for estimating and applying choice models that is used around the world.
Hess is a professor of choice modelling in the Institute for Transport Studies and Director of the Choice Modelling Centre at the University of Leeds. He also holds part-time positions as professor of decision modelling, AI and mobility research at Delft University of Technology, and as a guest professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He is also a fellow of the Alan Turing Institute in the United Kingdom, honorary professor in choice modelling in the Institute for Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney, and honorary professor of modelling behavior in Africa at the University of Cape Town.
Professor Hess’ publication record is extensive (164 journal papers in 20 years), and his work is highly cited, with a Scopus h-index of 40 (google scholar h-index of 51). The impact of his work has been recognized for example by the 2017 and 2019 ICMC awards for the most innovative application of choice modelling, the 2014 Outstanding Young Member of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) award for exceptional achievements in transportation research, policy, or practice, the 2010 Fred Burggraf award handed out by the Transportation Research Board, the 2005 Eric Pas award for the best PhD thesis in the area of travel behavior modelling, and the 2004 Neil Mansfield award handed out by the Association for European Transport.
