Anthony Dontoh – Merging AI and Engineering for Smarter, Safer Roads

Originally from Ghana, Anthony Dontoh is pursuing his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at the University of Memphis, where he’s combining his passion for artificial intelligence and transportation engineering to design smarter, safer, and more efficient roadway systems. He is set to graduate in Spring 2026 and was recognized this year as one of the Graduate Student Association’s Top 30 Under 35 recipients.

Inspired by Innovation

For Anthony, the intersection of AI and transportation offers endless opportunities to improve how people move through the world.

“The intersection of AI and transportation engineering offers a unique opportunity to design smarter, safer, and more efficient systems that directly impact people’s daily lives,” he explains.

“I was especially drawn to this field after witnessing how data-driven solutions like real-time traffic prediction, autonomous vehicle coordination, and adaptive signal control can reduce congestion, lower emissions, and improve road safety.”

Pursuing a Ph.D. gives him the chance to explore these technologies in depth and contribute to building intelligent, equitable, and sustainable transportation infrastructure.

Research that Drives Change

Anthony’s research focuses on two vital areas shaping the future of transportation safety and infrastructure:

• Traffic Safety: Developing a multimodal distracted driving detection framework to reduce the dangers of distracted driving.
• Pavement Asset Management: Building a multimodal machine learning model for proactive roadway maintenance through comprehensive data collection and analysis.

His work aims to mitigate the impacts of distracted driving and support the development of next-generation Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), while also helping maintain safer, more efficient roadways.

Moments of Discovery

One of Anthony’s favorite “aha!” moments came during his pavement research.

“It might sound crazy, but this happened when I learned how to create a virtual environment for one of my pavement projects,” he recalls with a smile.

These moments of hands-on discovery keep him energized and curious throughout his doctoral journey.

Mentorship and Support

Anthony credits Dr. Stephanie Ivey, his academic advisor, as a major source of support.

“She’s an understanding person who supports her students even if their research doesn’t align with her primary focus,” he says. “That has gone a long way to help me pursue the research I’m doing now.”

Proud Achievements

Among his many accomplishments, Anthony is especially proud of two:

• Winning the National Technical Research Exhibition Showcase Competition at the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Annual Convention in Chicago.
• Serving as President of the UofM NSBE Chapter, where he’s helped inspire and empower other students pursuing STEM fields.

Driven by Faith and Family

Graduate school comes with its challenges, but Anthony stays grounded in his purpose.

“God and my family keep me going, knowing that I cannot fail,” he shares.

Looking Ahead

After graduation, Anthony plans to continue advancing the field of transportation engineering — whether as a traffic engineer, data analyst, computer vision specialist, or even as a professor.

His ultimate goal: to apply artificial intelligence in meaningful ways that make transportation safer, smarter, and more sustainable for everyone.