PhD student awarded Inaugural ITS-NY Dotty Drinkwater Award

Published September 8, 2025

Gongda Yu, a PhD civil engineering candidate in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at the University at Buffalo, has been awarded the inaugural ITS-NY Dotty Drinkwater Award and Scholarship for the 2024–2025 academic year. 

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“I am honored to receive the ITS-NY Dotty Drinkwater Scholarship. My research on driving anxiety among young drivers motivates me to explore how Intelligent Transportation Systems can enhance safety and confidence on the road, while also inspiring my aspiration to pursue a career in ITS engineering to bring these solutions into practice. ”
Gongda Yu, PhD Candidate
Gonda Yu, PhD civil engineering candidate.

Gonda Yu, PhD civil engineering candidate. 

The award is part of the first scholarship program launched by the Intelligent Transportation Society of New York (ITS-NY), aimed at supporting future leaders advancing intelligent transportation systems across the state. 

Yu, who is advised by Dr. Irina Benedyk, assistant professor in the department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering and is affiliated with the Stephen Still Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics (ISTL), was recognized for his research on understanding the causes and consequences of driving anxiety in young drivers. 

His work explores how anxiety affects driver confidence, skill perception and safety-related behaviors. As part of his research, Yu also conducts virtual reality-based simulation experiments to analyze how advanced warning messages from autonomous vehicles influence road users’ decision-making and situational awareness. 

“I am honored to receive the ITS-NY Dotty Drinkwater Scholarship. My research on driving anxiety among young drivers motivates me to explore how Intelligent Transportation Systems can enhance safety and confidence on the road, while also inspiring my aspiration to pursue a career in ITS engineering to bring these solutions into practice,” said Yu.