Successful defense of Anna Marie Harkin's and Kevin Harkin's phD thesis

Congratulations, Dr. Anna Marie Harkin and Dr. Kevin Harkin!

We are happy to announce the first “double” doctoral defense at our chair, featuring Anna Marie Harkin and Kevin Harkin. On June 19, 2026, both candidates successfully defended their dissertations one after the other. We congratulate them on this outstanding achievement!

The event began with Marie Harkin’s dissertation defense on the topic: “Interaction at Intersections – Implicit Communication between Vulnerable Road Users and Turning Automated Vehicles.”

This was followed by Kevin Harkin’s dissertation defense on the topic: “Acceptance of Vulnerable Road Users towards Automated Vehicles in Urban Traffic.”

We would like to the thank the two external reviewers, Prof. Martin Baumann (Ulm) and Prof. Josef F. Krems (Chemnitz), as well as the other members of the respective examination committees, Prof. Daniel Leising and Prof. Sebastian Pannasch.

Publications 🔗 :

• Harkin, K. A., Harkin, A. M., Kummerer, K., Ringhand, M., & Petzoldt, T. (2025). Acceptance towards automated vehicles in urban traffic: A survey of pedestrian’s attitudes and behavioral intentions. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 31, 101416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2025.101416

• Harkin, A. M., Görner, H., Bärwolff, M., Harkin, K. A., & Petzoldt, T. (2025). Predictors of cyclists’ and pedestrians’ behavior in interactions with turning (Automated) vehicles− Insights from a Wizard-of-Oz study in real traffic. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 111, 75-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2025.02.023

• Harkin, K. A., Harkin, A. M., Gögel, C., Schade, J., & Petzoldt, T. (2024). How do vulnerable road users evaluate automated vehicles in urban traffic? A focus group study with pedestrians, cyclists, e-scooter riders, older adults, and people with walking disabilities. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 104, 59-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2024.05.017

•  Harkin, A. M., Mangold, A., Harkin, K. A., & Petzoldt, T. (2024). Implicit communication in cyclist-vehicle interaction: Examining the influence of driving dynamics in interactions with turning (automated) vehicles on cyclists' perceived safety, behavioral intention, and risk anticipation. Journal of Cycling and Micromobility Research, 2, 100028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmr.2024.100028

• Harkin, A. M., Harkin, K. A., & Petzoldt, T. (2023). What to rely on–Implicit communication between pedestrians and turning automated vehicles. Transportation research part F: traffic psychology and behaviour, 98, 297-317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2023.08.004