The 2025 Meddin Emerging Researcher Scholar is Anindya Debnath
We’re happy to announce Anindya Debnath as NABSA’s 2025 Meddin Emerging Researcher Scholarship recipient!
Anindya Debnath (Ani) is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and a former Fulbright Scholar, having received the award during his master’s studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He specializes in transportation systems and sustainable mobility, with a research focus on understanding travel behavior and developing strategies to improve transportation functionality and efficiency.
Ani’s interest in transportation was shaped by his early experiences in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he witnessed the everyday challenges of navigating complex urban environments, and was further solidified during his master’s studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he developed a deeper focus on efficient and responsive mobility systems. He currently conducts research at the ZeRo (Zero Revolution Transportation Systems) Lab under the supervision of Dr. Suman Mitra. His doctoral research agenda has been driven by a deep commitment to critical transportation challenges through interdisciplinary and policy-relevant scholarships, with special emphasis on shared mobility and travel behavior modelling.
His work addresses a wide array of transportation challenges – ranging from the design and adoption of bikeshare systems in communities with limited transportation options to shifts in ridesourcing patterns in the wake of COVID-19. As he continues to examine how mobility systems can be (re)designed for a broader impact, Ani remains driven by a single question: how can cities ensure that the future of transportation works for everyone?
NABSA looks forward to learning more from Ani’s research over the coming year. The Meddin Emerging Researcher Scholarship is offered annually for emerging researchers in the field of shared micromobility. Click here to learn more about the scholarship and how to apply for it in the future.