Portland State University has named Sirisha Kothuri, a Senior Research Associate in Civil and Environmental Engineering, as the recipient of the 2025 Research Award for Non-tenure-track Faculty. This honor recognizes her extraordinary contributions to the field of multimodal traffic operations, management, and safety, and her dedication to improving safety for the most vulnerable road users.
Since starting as a Research Associate in 2014, Kothuri has established herself as a leading national expert in active transportation data. One of her groundbreaking achievements involves developing methods to use pedestrian push buttons at traffic signals to estimate walking volumes—a task previously considered too difficult and expensive for most agencies. The work has been validated through multi-state research in collaboration with PSU alum Patrick Singleton at Utah State University, and is now utilized by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) via TREC’s BikePedPortal.
In support letters for the nomination, colleagues and partners recognized her achievements and leadership:
“She is one of the leading experts in the U.S. on pedestrian travel monitoring and safety.”
“Dr. Kothuri stands out from other researchers I work with due to her innovative ideas, professional rigor and ability to manage varied work streams and deliver polished products on time.”
“In the multimodal signalized intersection and transportation safety research communities, Dr. Kothuri has developed a prominent regional, national, and international reputation.”
Kothuri’s research portfolio is both prolific and impactful. She has published 37 peer-reviewed journal articles and has been involved in $5.9 million of externally funded research. Her work often bridges the gap between theory and practice, influencing national guidelines for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). She was a key researcher in two recent studies published by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science: Reducing Conflicts Between Turning Motor Vehicles and Bicycles and On-Street Bicycle Facility Design Features. Kothuri led a major research project to explore techniques for estimating bicycle volumes by fusing automated counter data with data from mobile phones.
Beyond her technical achievements, Kothuri is a dedicated mentor who has supported dozens of graduate and undergraduate students, helping them prepare for careers in transportation. She also volunteers for initiatives like Chick Tech and Transportation YOU to encourage young women to pursue engineering.
