The METRANS Mentorship Program Celebrates its Decennial |
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Launched in 2011, the METRANS Mentor Program celebrates a decade of creating personal mentoring relationships between students and transportation professionals. The 2021 iteration of this program features over 20 students from undergraduate and master's-level policy and engineering programs from several California universities. Ten years ago, Dr. Victoria Deguzman, METRANS Associate Director for Education and Professional Development, launched the program, starting with a pilot group of students and professionals connected to the METRANS center. “I found there was a strong need for practical and professional career guidance for transportation students,” Deguzman shared. “Students were increasingly coming to me for transportation career advice and guidance, and I realized that not only was I, as one person, unable to give them each the level of attention they needed and deserved, but I was often not the best person for the job, not being an active practitioner in their specific field of study myself. The METRANS Mentor Program you see today began as my effort to address that. Starting with a small group of students and professionals, we found METRANS could serve a crucial role in making valuable connections between industry and academia by matching professionals with the students who will form the workforce of the future. Students still come to me, but now I can offer them a personal, professional mentor as well.” |
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The Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center Recognizes 2020 Students of the Year |
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The Pacific Southwest Region (PSR) University Transportation Center (UTC) starts the new year by honoring exceptional students from member institutions for their promise in the transportation field. Students – at all levels - are recognized for their technical and research merit, academic, and leadership capabilities.
Sam Speroni, doctoral student at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Luskin School of Public Affairs is PSR’s 2020 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) University Transportation Center (UTC) Student of the Year.
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In 2019, the PSR UTC established a new series of awards intended to recognize exceptional students for strong research and academic performance in undergraduate, graduate, community college, and professional development programs. This suite of awards honors students from a broad range of educational levels who have demonstrated promising leadership and contributions to academia or industry practice. The 2020 PSR UTC Students of the Year are: |
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Yougeng Lu, doctoral student in Urban Planning and Development at the University of Southern California (USC);
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Bing Lin Nayang, graduate student in City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning at UCLA;
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David Lemcke, undergraduate student in Civil Engineering at Northern Arizona University; and
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Faraz Bhatti, Global Logistics Specialist student from CSULB College of Professional and International Education (CPIE).
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METRANS Alumni Spotlight:
METRANS on the Move Editor-in-Chief Danielle Dirksen
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After contributing to METRANS on the Move, METRANS’ weekly student publication, as Editor-in-chief since Spring 2019, Danielle Dirksen has stepped down after graduating in the fall. Dirksen graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Planning with a double minor in Environmental Studies and Occupational Science. She is passionate about pursuing a future in transportation where she can work toward enhancing mobility and improving public transit for traditionally disadvantaged and marginalized communities. As Dirksen says, “We have a lot of stigmas about transit to do away with – e.g., something designated for low-income folks - [but] if we begin to prioritize transit as something for the good of society, maybe we can get somewhere [figuratively and literally].” |
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NCST Research Team Conducts an Analysis
on Developing Markets for Zero-Emission Vehicles
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A team of researchers from NCST partner institutions has recently completed a report on the potential for using battery electric heavy-duty trucks to help solve the problem of emissions from freight-related transport. This team includes Genevieve Giuliano, Maged Dessouky, Sue Dexter, Jiawen Fang, and Shichun Hu from USC; Seiji Steimetz and Thomas O’Brien from CSULB; and Lewis Fulton and Marshall Miller from UC Davis. The research project, “Developing Markets for Zero Emission Vehicles in Short Haul Goods Movement,” focused on heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) and the consequences of adopting zero-emission or near-zero-emission vehicles for drayage services, which is the transportation of short-haul goods in the logistics process. This research considers the benefits of battery electric HDTs-- the only zero emission HDTs commercially available -- and their potential use in freight operations, economic impacts, and environmental benefits. The report presents research findings and recommendations for public planning and implementation.
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Recently Completed Research Projects
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METRANS researchers from our member institutions have recently completed the following project in the three topical areas of: integrated management of freight and passenger systems, sustainable and efficient urban freight transportation, and urban mobility. To learn more about specific projects, please click on the title to access the research briefs and reports. |
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PSR Emerging Scholars Transportation Research Symposium
featuring Senator Fran Pavley (USC)
and Susan L. Handy (UC Davis)
Wednesday, March 3rd - Thursday, March 4th
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ITS-Davis 3 Revolution's Webinar:
The Future of Automation Policy- From California to D.C.
featuring Giovanni Circella and Mollie Cohen D'Agostino
(UC Davis 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program)
Tuesday, January 19th at 10:30 AM (PST)
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The METRANS Transportation Center was established in 1998 as the first University Transportation Center in Southern California. METRANS is a joint partnership of the University of Southern California (USC) and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).
METRANS' mission is to solve transportation problems of large metropolitan regions through interdisciplinary research, education and outreach. Its three primary objectives are: (1) fostering independent, high quality research to solve the nation's transportation problems; (2) training the next generation transportation workforce; and (3) disseminating information, best practices, and technology to the professional community
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