College of Engineering chooses Wu as 2026 Da Vinci Fellow

Thousands of Arizona drivers complete their morning commute without a second thought for traffic signals. Behind those signals is the work of CAEM professor Yao-Jan Wu, the College of Engineering’s 2026 da Vinci Fellow.

The award comes with a one-time grant of $10,000 to support exceptional research.

“He’s deserving of the da Vinci Award for a multitude of reasons,” said Dominic Boccelli, head of CAEM. “He’s got his cutting-edge research, emerging technologies, moving things forward, data-driven artificial intelligence, community engagement … The next time you’re sitting here in traffic in Tucson, just remember that without Yao, that wait would actually be even worse.”

As the founder and executive director of the Arizona Transportation Institute, Wu examines traffic from all angles. He earned the Excellence in Research Grants award at the 2026 Convergence Awards for winning a $5.2 million grant from the Arizona Department of Transportation to establish AZTI.

One of Wu’s recent projects optimized yellow light timing in Phoenix. The result was a 50% reduction in drivers running red lights.

“Changing the length of a yellow light, sometimes by half a second, can dramatically change driver behavior,” he said.

Wu also leads the Center for Applied Transportation Sciences. CATS connects public agencies, students and faculty tackling traffic challenges. Supported by ADOT, the City of Tucson and Pima County, the center collects and analyzes statewide transportation data.