Research Associate
Behavioral ResearchTexas A&M Transportation Institute
1111 RELLIS Parkway
Bryan, TX 77807-3135
(979) 317-2548
j-childress@tti.tamu.edu
Education
- B.S., Meteorology, Texas A&M University, 2004
Short Biography
Jana Cavness is a research associate in the Behavioral Research Group for the Center for Transportation Safety at Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). Mrs. Cavness earned her B.S. degree in Meteorology from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. In her current role at TTI, Mrs. Cavness performs traffic surveys to observe and collect data related to vehicle occupant behavior (the use of safety belts, the use of mobile communication devices while driving, etc.).
Including her work at TTI, Mrs. Cavness has 17 years of experience in data collection and analysis. Prior to her position with TTI, Mrs. Cavness worked for seven years in the wind energy industry as a wind energy analyst in Houston, TX. In this role, Mrs. Cavness primarily analyzed wind velocity data collected at multiple project sites to determine the site's viability as a potential location for a commercial wind farm.
Mrs. Cavness also has 15 years of experience in the field of GIS. In her previous role in the wind energy industry, Mrs. Cavness used GIS to analyze geographical data to optimize wind farm layout and design, as well as create maps for both internal decision making and for distribution to various external agencies. In her current role, Mrs. Cavness uses GIS to aid in site selection for new observational surveys, and to create maps as a visual aid for traffic surveyors to use in the field.