Can you share a little bit about yourself and your role at SafeTREC?
I’m from Staten Island, NY and have had a passion for transportation policy and research for as long as I could remember. Working for New York City Transit’s Capital Program Management division provided me with an insight on climate resiliency and rehabilitation projects, which sparked my interest in proactive transportation planning. This all led to pursue a dual Masters in Transportation Engineering and City Planning at UC Berkeley.
What sparked your interest in transportation safety research?
I have had a passion for transportation mobility, accessibility, and safety since I was very little. I come from a family of front-line transportation workers, and my passion for accessible and safe transportation was further ignited by the effects of Hurricane Sandy on NYC’s infrastructure. Staten Island is more suburban than the other outer boroughs of NYC, which has led to car dependencies and mobility inequities that were accentuated during the storm. As I continued my undergraduate degree, I quickly realized that my passion for public service and safety lied within the realm of addressing inequities in transportation.
What current projects are you working on at SafeTREC?
At SafeTREC, I am currently working as a Graduate Student Researcher to develop a pilot plan to collect, integrate, and store fundamental roadway inventory elements for safety analysis in the State of California. This project has been especially rewarding because of the robust nature of the data collection efforts that span into Tribal communities. Co-developing a pilot plan that encompasses a wide range of stakeholder agencies has been particularly challenging and simultaneously rewarding.
What issues are you particularly interested or passionate about?
Largely due to my experience with Hurricane Sandy and upbringing on Staten Island, my interests in transportation revolve around mobility, accessibility, and health inequities. I am particularly interested in exploring ways professionals can mitigate health inequities caused by past planning injustices, while simultaneously increasing mobility through multi-modal alternatives. Marginalized communities have historically been subjugated to socio-economic and health inequities by past planning decisions, and I believe health-centric policy should be at the forefront of future safe transportation alternatives.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of graduate school, I love to go on long hikes, play basketball, and ride my motorcycle. Personally, as technology has continued to connect people more readily, I have found continued solace with myself and others, while exploring the wilderness with a few good friends camping around a fire. I am currently on a quest to see all 63 national parks throughout the US – but I have a long way to go seeing only 7 so far!
This Spotlight interview was conducted in collaboration with UC Berkeley SafeTREC. The opinions and perspectives expressed are those of the interviewee and not necessarily those of SafeTREC.
