H. Oliver Gao

Oliver Gao is the Director of the Cornell Systems Engineering and Howard Simpson Professor of Engineering at Cornell University. A leading scholar and academic innovator, Gao’s work sits at the intersection of environmental health and engineering, sustainability, and systems engineering—where technology, data, and human behavior converge to shape the future of healthy, intelligent communities.

An internationally recognized expert in environmental health and engineering (e.g., urban infrastructure systems, transportation, air quality and exposure risk, and public health analytics), Gao develops computational and systems solutions that integrate engineering, data science, and policy design. His research focuses on advancing climate-smart mobility, low-emission infrastructure, and data-enabled health systems, translating fundamental science into real-world societal impact.

As the Director of the Center for Transportation, Environment, and Community Health (CTECH)—a U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Center—Gao leads a multi-institutional consortium uniting engineering, environmental science, public health, and data analytics to drive systems innovation for healthy and sustainable communities.

Gao’s scholarship and leadership have established Cornell as a global hub for systems innovation in sustainability and health. Under his directorship, Cornell Systems Engineering has expanded significantly in scope and influence, launching new professional and research degree programs (Ph.D. in Systems, M.S., and M.Eng. Pathways in Energy Systems, Health Systems Engineering, and Semiconductor, Manufacturing, and Industrial Systems), founding the Ezra Systems Scholars Program, Cornell Systems Summit, Cornell Systems Studio, and raising philanthropic support for the cross-campus Health Systems Engineering Program in partnership with Weill Cornell Medicine.

Among Gao Lab’s notable applied innovations is the Cornell Urban Air Quality and Congestion Management System (CU-PPS)—the first web-based platform integrating New York City’s activity-based travel demand and EPA’s MOVES model for multiscale high resolution emissions and air quality/exposure modeling, officially used by New York City and EPA for transportation conformity analyses to ensure compliance with federal air quality standards and safeguard more than 12 million residents across the metropolitan region. The Gao Lab is further developing and bringing the CU-PPS technology and service to other cities faced with similar challenges of traffic congestion, transportation emissions, and environmental/public health. As cities address their aging infrastructure and make important policies, investments, and decisions for smarter cities, Gao stresses that it is a pivotal time for policy makers to also consider how the decisions they make affect the health of the environment and city residents.

Prior to joining Cornell, Gao worked in the mathematical and econometric modeling division of TRG Management LP (The Rohatyn Group), a Wall Street hedge fund specializing in emerging markets, where he developed quantitative models for large-scale systems and financial risk.

Gao has served as Editor-in-Chief of Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment and as a reviewer and advisor to multiple federal agencies, including the NSF, EPA, DOE, and DOT. His scholarship, institutional leadership, and translational engagement reflect a unifying vision: advancing the science and systems of sustainable and healthy living for people and the planet.

Service and Leadership Interests:

• Institutional transformation: Building and scaling academic programs and research centers that bridge disciplines, elevate global reputation, and deliver societal impact across scales.
• Systems leadership: Advancing models of entrepreneurship, governance and cross-departmental collaboration inside research institutions.
• Professional service in the systems & infrastructure community: Engaging with organizations, policy forums, and standards bodies that shape systems engineering, transportation-environment-health research and institutional innovation.
• Mentoring faculty and emerging leaders: Developing ecosystems for teamwork, cross-faculty appointments, and leadership pipelines in engineering and systemic innovation.
• Knowledge translation and public engagement: Bridging research, policy and implementation to ensure that systems insights benefit public health, communities, infrastructure, and society.