Student Spotlight | National Institute for Transportation and Communities

Student Spotlight: Spring 2018 NITC Dissertation Fellows

Apr 18, 2018

The National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) is proud to announce our two Spring 2018 Dissertation Fellows. Hear from the fellows about their projects below, or learn how to apply for funding through the NITC Dissertation Fellowship Grant here. Proposals for Summer 2018 Dissertation Fellowships are due June 1, 2018.

Vivian Miller, University of Texas at Arlington

In November 2018, Vivian Miller published Investigating Barriers to Family Visitation of Nursing Home Residents: A Systematic Review, a paper based on her NITC-funded dissertation, in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

Vivian Miller is a third-year doctoral candidate in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her primary research interests are in...

Student Spotlight: Maria Sipin, Portland State University

Feb 28, 2018

Maria Sipin, Graduate Assistant, Portland State University

Maria Sipin is a Portland State University grad student in Urban Planning and Public Health, and an IBPI Active Transportation Scholar. Watch Maria's video, "Communicating Intersections," on the power that transportation planners have to affect positive, equitable change in our daily lives. Or, read the 2018 final report she co-authored "Elevating People: Planning for Equitable Travel to Marquam Hill" - a report on OHSU’s vision for diversity and inclusion and their goals to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips and promote the increased use of sustainable multimodal transportation.

IBPI 2017 - 2018 Scholar| LinkedIn | PSU Institute for Sustainable Solutions Staff Member

Tell us about yourself:

I started grad school in fall 2016, just a week after moving to Portland from Los...

Jordan Preston, Oregon Institute of Technology, NITC Student of the Year

Student Spotlight: 2017 NITC "Student of the Year" - Jordan Preston, Oregon Tech

Dec 08, 2017

Jordan Preston, Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech)
Oregon Tech Student Profile | LinkedIn

An Update On Jordan at TRB:

NITC Student of the Year Jordan Preston attended TRB's annual meeting in 2018, and we had a conversation with her about the experience. Here are a few of her thoughts.

Do you have a funny story/enjoyable experience from TRB 2018 to share?

One of the highlights of my TRB experience was renting bikes with the rest of the Oregon Tech attendees and using the (awesome!) separated bike lanes to see a bit of Washington D.C. at night. Not only was I interested in actual bike lanes due to my various research projects, it was also just a great time with the professors and students to have a bit of fun!

At TRB 2018, which session(s) stood out/stuck with you the most?

I particularly enjoyed the poster sessions about bicycling, with content ranging from bike share usage to facility construction to parking shortages. Not only did I end up with an extensive list of articles and projects with more information than I can possibly sort through, it was also an excellent...

Alex Bigazzi, graduate of Portland State University and Assistant Professor at University of British Columbia

Alumni Spotlight: Alex Bigazzi, University of British Columbia

Nov 29, 2017

Alex Bigazzi, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia

Alex Bigazzi, a former Post-Doctoral NITC researcher and student, received his Ph.D. in civil engineering from Portland State University in 2014. Learn more about Alex:

NITC Researcher Profile | LinkedIn | UCB Faculty Profile

Read an article on his recent research on congestion pricing

Tell us about yourself:

My name is Alex Bigazzi and I am an assistant professor, joint-appointed in transportation engineering and planning at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. My main research areas are transportation emissions and air quality and active travel.

Why did you decide to attend Portland State University?

The original decision was driven almost entirely by location. I was living in Portland, decided to go back to school for a second...

Abolfazl Karimpour PhD Candidate, University of Arizona

Student Spotlight: Abolfazl Karimpour, University of Arizona

Nov 03, 2017

Abolfazl Karimpour, Graduate Research Assistant in Engineering Mechanics at University of Arizona

Learn more about Abolfazl by following him on Facebook, or find his published articles on LinkedIn.

Tell us about yourself:

My name is Abolfazl, I born in Mashhad, Iran. I am a second year Ph.D. student in Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, The University of Arizona. My specialty is in Transportation Engineering, and I am working as a full time research assistant in the Smart Transportation Lab.

Why did you decide to attend University of Arizona?

I had the opportunity to continue my studies and enroll in the doctoral program in Iran, however it would not have provided me with the same learning opportunities as studying at the University of Arizona. Working and researching in UofA enabled me to advance my educational goals and make positive contributions to the field. My background in Transportation Engineering closely matches with what my colleagues are...

Steven Howland, PhD Candidate in Urban Studies at Portland State University

Student Spotlight: Steven Howland, Portland State University

Sep 22, 2017

Steven Howland, PhD Candidate in Urban Studies at Portland State University

In addition to being a student, Steven has also acted as a researcher on a number of TREC projects:

Suburban Black Poverty in East Portland: The Role of Transportation in Making Ends Meet
Evaluating Efforts to Improve the Equity of Bike Share Systems
Peer-To-Peer Carsharing: Short-term effects on travel behavior in Portland, OR

Learn more about Steven by checking out his researcher profile, following him on Twitter @SHowland886, or read his recently published article in Metroscape Magazine "The Geography of the Commute".

Tell us about yourself:

I am Steven Howland, a PhD candidate in Urban Studies, where I specialize in economic development and poverty with particular interest in the intersections of the two with transportation issues. I hold a Bachelor's and Master's in Planning from Arizona State University. My dissertation looks at the transportation...

Oregon Tech civil engineering students teach Lost River STEM club

Jun 05, 2017

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NITC, through the Oregon Tech ITE Student Chapter, partnered with the ASCE/AGC Student Chapters to work with middle/high school students from the Klamath Basin in the design and construction of a pedestrian trail bridge near the Oregon Tech campus. See below for full story by Samantha Tipler, Klamath County School District.

Oregon Tech has linked up with Lost River Jr./Sr. High School to build bridges – both metaphorical and actual – between the two schools. Since March 17, the Oregon Tech Student Chapter of ASCE-AGC have been working with the Lost River STEM Club to design and build a bridge on the Oregon Tech trail up to the “O” near the solar power array on campus.OTBridge2017

“You wouldn’t think a couple seventh graders would be much help to make a big old bridge,” said Dustyn Verley, 13, “but it makes us pretty proud, I’d say.” Dystyn said that after helping pour concrete into wood forms on Friday, May...

Oregon Tech student earns WTS transportation scholarship

Apr 24, 2017

Gwen Jones, an undergraduate student at the Oregon Institute of Technology, has been awarded the 2017 Molitoris Leadership Scholarship by WTS.

Jones is at Oregon Tech pursuing a degree in civil engineering with a focus on bridges and how they affect the transportation system. Over the summer, she participated in a history of bridges class, touring more than 40 bridges throughout Oregon and attending the NITC Transportation and Communities Summit in Portland, further driving her passion for bridges and her interest in the direct impact bridges have on a burgeoning transportation system.

Jones's drive, determination and confidence helped her secure the position of Director of Health and Diversity for Rogue Community College’s Associated Student Government. However, she believes her greatest leadership commitment is being a mother to her two children. As a full-time student and mother, she is driven to succeed and obtain her degree. She will graduate in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree. In addition to taking engineering classes, Gwen has accepted a position with Adkins Consulting Engineering.

The purpose of the Molitoris Leadership Scholarship is to...

Oregon Tech students meet with Congressman Greg Walden at TRB

Jan 25, 2017

Six students in the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Student Chapter of the Oregon Institute of Technology had an in-person meeting earlier this month with Congressman Greg Walden, Representative of the 2nd District of Oregon.

The students, along with Faculty Advisor Dr. Roger Lindgren, were in Washington DC attending the 2017 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting. Funding for the student travel was provided by NITC.

Students Andrew Wixon, Alex Antonaras, Ryan Kelly, Kevin Baker, Jason Millar and Jordan Preston had the opportunity for a brief conversation with the congressman as part of their TRB experience. Students at Oregon Tech have a strong tradition of participating in NITC projects and events.

Oregon Tech has partnered with the university transportation center at Portland State since its 2006 inception as OTREC, and continues this collaboration by being a part of the expanded NITC program grant established in 2016.

The ITE student chapter at Oregon Tech, since its establishment in 2002, has provided its student members with a variety of transportation learning activities including field tours, webinars, traffic bowl participation and travel to conferences.

One of the group's main priorities is putting engineering students in contact with practicing engineers and real-world projects...

Portland State student wins top modeling presentation award at TRB

Jan 20, 2017

Portland State doctoral student Patrick Singleton won the best presentation award for the Doctoral Research in Transport Modeling and Traveler Behavior session of the Transportation Research Board annual meeting in Washington, D.C. This marks the second year running that a Portland State student has won the award, after Steven Gehrke won in 2016.

Singleton presented “Exploring the Positive Utility of Travel and Mode Choice,” drawn from his dissertation research. Positive utility of travel is a concept that travel can provide benefits and be motivated by factors beyond reaching a destination.

The award will be formally presented during the Network Modeling Committee meeting at next year’s Transportation Research Board conference.

Singleton continues to rack up awards. He has been named the NITC university transportation center student of the year and has received Eno and Eisenhower fellowships, being named the top-ranked Eisenhower recipient at the 2015 TRB annual meeting. He was also named a NITC dissertation fellow in 2016.

He is a doctoral student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department and is involved in several TREC research projects. His adviser is Prof....

Vivian Miller, University of Texas at Arlington

Abolfazl Karimpour, Graduate Research Assistant in Engineering Mechanics at University of Arizona

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