Researcher in causal AI, computational epistemology, complexity, and safety. I study how intelligent systems reason about and interact with humans, evacuations, and other safety-critical environments—bridging human behavior modeling, causal reasoning, and AI-driven simulation to build systems that not only work, but also explain why they work.
I am a researcher in causal AI, computational epistemology, complexity, and safety. My work focuses on how intelligent systems build and apply knowledge in dynamic, safety-critical environments, with emphasis on pedestrian dynamics and evacuation science. I integrate AI, human behavior modeling, causal inference, and simulation to design decision-support tools that are robust, explainable, and inclusive.
My doctoral research, EvacuAIDi, developed an AI-driven, causal-informed framework for disability-inclusive evacuation guidance, combining large language models, behavioral modeling, and causal reasoning. With 15+ years of experience in transportation engineering and a strong programming background, I also build open-source tools for modeling and probabilistic reasoning. Beyond research, I share insights through my podcast Decoding Causality and a LinkedIn page on evacuation science.
My broader goal is to advance methods that fuse human insight, causal reasoning, and AI to build safer, more resilient systems that not only work but also explain why they work.
Technical Skills:Worked on various projects involving transportation modeling, data analysis, and AI-driven solutions for urban mobility and infrastructure planning. Designed and implemented computational models to support decision-making in large-scale transportation projects.
Key Projects:
Worked on various projects related to pedestrian modeling, emergency evacuation, and transportation network resilience to support urban planning and mobility strategies.
Key Projects:
Somvanshi, S., Islam, M. M., Rafe, A., Tusti, A. G., Chakraborty, A., Baitullah, A., Chowdhury, T. I., Alnawmasi, N., Dutta, A., & Das, S. (2025). Bridging the Black Box: A Survey on Mechanistic Interpretability in AI. ACM Computing Surveys. https://doi.org/10.1145/3787104
Rafe, A., & Das, S. (2025). Causal AI and Computational Epistemology - A Survey. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6045495
Chhetri, G., Brotee, S., Ansari, M. W., Bellamkonda, V. S., Rafe, A., Alnawmasi, N., Dutta, A., & Das, S. (2025). Machine Unlearning in the Era of Foundation Models: Taxonomy, Methods, and Guarantees. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5968054
Brotee, S., Chhetri, G., Polock, S. B. B., Bellamkonda, V. S., Rafe, A., & Das, S. (2025). A Survey on Joint Embedding Predictive Architectures and World Models. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5772122
Somvanshi, S., Sheley, R., Shuvo, S. A., Rafe, A., & Das, S. (2025). A Survey on Automated Vehicles in Low Visibility and Infrastructure-Limited Roadway Settings. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5387394
Rafe, A., Lawrence, P.J., Lovreglio, R., Spearpoint, M., Singleton, P. A. (2025). Enhancing Occupant Evacuation Simulation Using LLMs and Retrieval-Augmented Generation. International Conference on Transportation and Development 2025. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784486191.034
Rafe, A., Singleton, P. A., Boyer, S., & Mekker, M. (2025). Pedestrian Crossing Behaviors at Signalized Intersections in Utah: Factors Affecting Spatial and Temporal Violations. International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijtst.2024.12.005
Afand, K., Rafe, A., Khademi, N., Mazloum, S., Ahmadi, A., Zabihpour, A., & Singleton, P. A. (2025). Virtual Reality Analysis of Leadership Dynamics and Pedestrian Route Choice during Mass Gathering Evacuations. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Transportation and Development 2025. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784486207.004
Mazloum, S., Khademi, N., Ahmadi, A., Afand, K., Zabihpour, A., Rafe, A., & Singleton, P. A. (2025). Exploring the Role of Leadership in Pedestrian Evacuations Using a Virtual Reality (VR) Environment: An Eye-Tracking Study. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Transportation and Development 2025. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784486207.035
Rafe, A. (2025), Ethics on Foot: Balancing Technology and Human Values in AI-Driven Transport Systems. IATBR newsletter. https://iatbr.weebly.com/jan-2025.html
Rafe, A., Arman, M. A., & Singleton, P. A. (2024). A Comparative Study Using Generalized Ordered Probit, Stacking Ensemble, and TabNet: Application to Determinants of Pedestrian Crash Severity. Data Science for Transportation, 6(2), 13, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42421-024-00098-x
Rafe, A., & Singleton, P. A. (2024). Imputing Time Series Pedestrian Volume Data With Consideration of Epidemiological-Environmental Variables. Transportation Research Record, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241240758
Rafe, A., & Singleton, P. A. (2024). Exploring the Complexity of Pedestrian Dynamics: Impact of Societal Behaviors and Personal Attributes in Urban Environments. Transportation Research Record, https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241260707
Rafe, A., & Singleton, P. A. (2024). Exploring the Determinants of Pedestrian Crash Severity Using an AutoML Approach. In International Conference on Transportation and Development 2024 (pp. 442-455), https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485514.039
Rafe, A., Arman, M.A., Singleton, P. A. (2024). An In-depth Investigation into Factors Influencing Pedestrian Crash Severity: Comparative Analysis of Ordered Probit, Stacking Ensemble Model, and TabNet, Transportation Research Board 103rd Annual Meeting
Singleton, P. A., Rafe, A., Humagain, P., Runa, F., Islam, A., Mekker, M., & Mountain-Plains Consortium. (2024). Utilizing Traffic Signal Pedestrian Push-Button Data for Pedestrian Planning and Safety Analysis (No. MPC-24-525). Mountain-Plains Consortium. https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=1168
Rafe, A., Kretz, T., & Singleton, P. A. (2023). Importance of social behaviors on pedestrian dynamics: A case study of Islamic clothing in Iran, Transportation Research Board 102nd Annual Meeting
Arman, M. A., Rafe, A., & Kretz, T. (2015) Pedestrian Gap Acceptance Behavior, A Case Study: Tehran, Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting
Rafe, A., Karimi, M. (2014) Calibrating Social force model based on design experiments method, The 13th International Conference on Traffic and Transportation Engineering
Rafe, A., Khavarzade, R. (2014) Investigation of Pedestrian’s Gap Acceptance behavior at Crosswalk, The 13th International Conference on Traffic and Transportation Engineering
Rafe, A., Shariat, A., Kalantari, N., Arman, M.A. & Yazdanpanah, (2014) Pedestrian simulation with Viswalk at various walking facilities, The 13th International Conference on Traffic and Transportation Engineering
Transportation Engineering specialization
Dissertation: EvacuAIDi:An AI-Driven, Causal-Informed Framework for Probabilistic and Disability-Inclusive Evacuation Guidance
Transportation Engineering specialization
Thesis: Pedestrian Dynamic Modeling using Social Force Model: A Heterogeneous Approach
