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About Me
I'm a PhD student in Civil & Environmental Engineering, with an emphasis in Transportation at the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering located at Northern Arizona University (NAU). I am also a Graduate Research Assistant with AZTrans (Arizona Laboratory for Applied Transportation Research). My research focus has primarily been about traffic operations and performance. I completed my M.S. in Civil Engineering from NAU in 2025 and completed my B.S. in Civil Engineering from NAU in 2023.
Interests
Traffic Operations
Transportation Safety
Transportation Data Analytics
ITS Technology Applications and Implementation
Education
🎓 Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Transportation Emphasis)
Northern Arizona University
Anticipated May 2028
🎓 Master of Science in Civil Engineering (Focus in Transportation Engineering)
Northern Arizona University
May 2025
Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems
🎓 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
Northern Arizona University
May 2023
Minor in Construction Management
Experience
Graduate Research Assistant
August 2023 - Current
Undergraduate Research Assistant
January 2022 - August 2023
Lab Aide
January 2022 - December 2022
Served as a grader for the Traffic Study and Signal lecture and lab.
Assisted the instructor in teaching lab sessions and course material.
Research
Updating the Signal Timing Manual to 3rd Edition
Graduate Research Assistant | July 2024 - Current
Tasked with updating the Signal Timing Manual to its 3rd edition.
Conducting a comprehensive literature review of research from 2014 to 2024.
Identifying key advancements in signal timing and addressing knowledge gaps with new findings.
Evaluation of Flow Labs' Signal Optimization Software
Graduate Research Assistant | January 2025 - May 2025
Conducted a thorough evaluation of Flow Labs' traffic optimization software.
Authored the final report detailing the software's performance and findings.
Operational Impacts Analysis of Left-In Left-Out Treatment
Graduate Research Assistant | October 2023 - May 2024
Analyzed the operational impacts of Left-In Left-Out (LILO) intersection treatments.
Utilized microsimulation modeling and field-calibrated sensitivity analysis to assess performance.
Pedestrian Treatments in Phoenix
Undergraduate Research Assistant | January 2023 - October 2023
Evaluated various pedestrian treatments to identify best practices for safety and efficiency.
Tested intersection detection equipment to ensure accurate pedestrian detection.
Bicycle Facility Guidance Study
Undergraduate Research Assistant | July 2022 - July 2023
Studied current bicycle facility guidance and standards.
Surveyed practitioners on their use of bicycle guidebooks.
Traced the origins of guidebook information to understand its basis.
Intersection Product Analysis
Undergraduate Research Assistant | January 2022 - July 2022
Analyzed video data from six intersections.
Assessed the accuracy of presence detection and traffic counts from installed equipment.
Disseminations
Refereed Journals
Prioritizing Bicyclist Safety and Mobility: Which Guidance Do I Use?
Refereed Journal | ITE Journal, March 2024
Smaglik, E., Phair, C., Eschen, A., and Russo, B.
Technical Reports
Prioritizing Bicyclist Safety and Mobility: Which Guidance Do I Use?
Technical Report | Pacific Southwest Region 9 UTC, August 2023
Smaglik, E., Phair, C., Eschen, A., and Russo, B.
Conference Presentations - Peer Reviewed
Testing and Mapping the Sensitivity of No-Touch Pedestrian Push Buttons in a Laboratory Setting.
Conference Presentation - Peer Reviewed | Presented at the 2025 TRB Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., January 2025
Eschen, A., Smaglik, E., Russo, B., and Gehrke, S.
How do Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs) Impact Turning Vehicle-Pedestrian Conflict Frequencies and Severities? An Observational Study Before and After LPI Implementation.
Conference Presentation - Peer Reviewed | Presented at the 2025 TRB Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., January 2025
Raha, F., Russo, B.J., Eschen, A., Elia, A., Gehrke, S.G., and Smaglik, E.
Prioritizing Bicyclist Safety and Mobility: Which Guidance Do I Use?
Conference Presentation - Peer Reviewed | Presented at the 2024 TRB Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., January 2024
Smaglik, E., Phair, C., Eschen, A., and Russo, B.
An Empirical Analysis of Fisheye Camera Intersection Traffic Detector Performance: Assessing the Potential Impacts of Camera Position and Lighting Conditions.
Conference Presentation - Peer Reviewed | Presented at the 2024 TRB Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., January 2024
Smaglik, E., Eschen, A., Khadka, A, and Russo, B.
Where to Implement Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs): An Examination of Turning Vehicle-Pedestrian Crashes at Signalized Intersections.
Conference Presentation - Peer Reviewed | Presented at the 2024 TRB Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., January 2024
Raha, F., Eschen, A., Gehrke, S., Smaglik, E., and Russo, B.
Conference Presentations - Editorially Reviewed
Analysis of the Operational Impacts of Left-In Left-Out Intersection/Driveway Treatments.
Conference Presentation - Editorially Reviewed | Presented at the 2025 PSR9 Annual Congress, Berkeley, CA, March 25th, 2025
Eschen, A.
Testing and Mapping the Sensitivity of No-Touch Pedestrian Push Buttons in a Laboratory Setting.
Conference Presentation - Editorially Reviewed | Presented at ITS America Annual Conference / 4th Annual Arizona Student Transportation Summit, Phoenix, AZ: April 24th, 2024. | 2024 PSR9 Annual Congress, Las Vegas, NV: March 11th, 2024. | 2023 ITS Arizona Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ: September 20th, 2023
Eschen, A.
An Empirical Analysis of Fisheye Camera Intersection Traffic Detector Performance: Assessing the Potential Impacts of Camera Position and Lighting Conditions.
Conference Presentation - Editorially Reviewed | Presented at ITE / IMSA Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ: April 3rd, 2024. | 3rd Annual Arizona Student Transportation Summit, Virtual: April 7th, 2023. | 2023 PSR9 Annual Congress, Los Angeles, CA: March 18th, 2023.
Eschen, A.
Awards
Steve Sanghi College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Award (2025): Received for academic performance, contributions to the department, college involvement, and community connections.
Jenny L. Grote Student Leadership Award (2025): Awarded by the Arizona Section of ITE for dedication to the transportation profession.
PSR Graduate Student of the Year (2025): Awarded by the PSR UTC for excellence in transportation, recognizing technical, research, academic, and leadership achievements.
ITS Arizona Best Graduate Student Research Paper (2024): Awarded for research on “Testing and Mapping the Sensitivity of No-Touch Pedestrian Push Buttons.”
Craig Roberts Fellowship Recipient (Fall 2023): Awarded to support graduate studies in transportation research at Northern Arizona University.
PSR Undergraduate Student of the Year (2022): Awarded by the PSR UTC for excellence in transportation.
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