Welcome back to the SafeTREC Spotlight Series where we highlight a SafeTREC team member and share their stories, work and interest in the transportation and safety research realm. In today's post, meet Nancy Leon, SafeTREC Finance Manager.
Nancy Leon was born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley, CA. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing at San Francisco State University in 2002. She is the Finance Manager at SafeTREC and has been working at the research center for 8 years. Nancy takes care of anything that involves finances, including reviewing grants and contracts, overseeing the center’s funding, and preparing claims, audits, and reimbursement invoices.
Since working at SafeTREC and in academia, what are some of the most interesting or surprising things you've learned about transportation safety?
Before working at SafeTREC, I thought of transportation as primarily vehicles and drivers. But the exposure to information and conversations about transportation and traffic safety brought to my attention that this issue is multidimensional. We’re also talking about pedestrians, bicycle lanes, street lights, road conditions, policy implementation and more. I remember when I first started working here, I reviewed a request for Google cameras, among other technology and tools needed for transportation safety research.
What issues are you particularly interested or passionate about?
I am interested in mental health, particularly childhood trauma and how these experiences of neglect and abuse shape who we are today, how we interact with others, how we engage in this world. I took a child psychology class at San Francisco State that ignited this interest, and since having my first child, I’ve become more passionate about issues concerning children.
What do you like to do outside of work?
My family and I are very close; any free time is spent with my husband and children. We love watching sports together, whether it be at home or in-person.
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.
