Verification and improvement of route-based road condition forecasts

Career overview

Professor Lee Chapman completed his PhD entitled ""A Blueprint for 21st Century Road Ice Prediction"" at the University of Birmingham in 2002. The project aimed to utilise emerging GIS and GPS technologies to develop advanced road weather prediction models, specifically focusing on accurately forecasting road surface temperatures to optimise salt usage by local councils. This research led to the establishment of a university spin-out company, Entice Technology Ltd, which was sold in 2006 to Weather Services International Ltd. Professor Chapman remains engaged in research and business initiatives related to winter road maintenance. He has served as the past President and is currently the secretary of the Standing International Road Weather Commission (SIRWEC), and is the CEO of Altasense, a University Operating Division that provides Internet of Things weather monitoring solutions for highway and railway engineers. The flagship product, ''wintersense'', was licensed to Campbell Scientific Ltd in 2019 and is marketed globally. In recognition of his contributions, Professor Chapman received the 2013 RGS Cuthbert Peek award for advancing knowledge in urban climatology through GIS and remote sensing, the 2014 RMetS Innovation Award for impactful meteorological measurements, and the 2017 Harry Otten Prize for Innovation in Meteorology. He became a Professor of Climate Resilience in 2016 and has co-authored all three UK Climate Change Risk Assessments. His research interests lie at the intersection of climatology and engineering, focusing on the impact of weather and climate on the built environment, particularly in urban areas. This encompasses various topics, including infrastructure meteorology, urban climatology, and climate change adaptation, with a strong emphasis on knowledge transfer, impact, and business engagement.

Research interests

Professor Lee Chapman''s research interests lie at the intersection of climatology and engineering, specifically investigating the impact of weather and climate on the built environment. This area of research is crucial due to the increasing concentration and vulnerability of populations and critical infrastructure in urban settings. His work encompasses various topics and sub-disciplines, including infrastructure meteorology, urban climatology, and climate change adaptation. Knowledge transfer, impact, and business engagement are central to his research agenda, which underpins much of his work. Professor Chapman has also been actively involved in research related to winter road maintenance and has contributed to the development of road weather prediction models. He has co-authored all three of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessments and has received several awards for his contributions to urban climatology and meteorology.