The UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) has announced the 2024 ITS awards, where three SafeTREC leadership and staff members and one alum have been recognized for their contributions towards creating a culture of excellence and increasing the research portfolio of SafeTREC and the ITS community.
SafeTREC director Julia Griswold and associate director SangHyouk Oum are acknowledged with the Culture of Excellence award for optimizing SafeTREC's research portfolio and performance while overseeing significant transitions in the workplace and leadership.
"They have achieved this by leading by example and upholding high standards, building staff morale through quarterly social events, improving efficiencies with technological upgrades and streamlined processes, and increasing transparency with staff," the 2024 ITS awards announcement states.
Kris Leckie, policy and program analyst at SafeTREC, is awarded the inaugural SafeTREC Excellence award for their outstanding commitment towards a culture of excellence, self-improvement, and professional development within SafeTREC and its partners.
Leckie's description details them having "taken on additional responsibilities in current programs, established valuable relationships in coordination with campus partners, and made many contributions to SafeTREC’s research, education, and public service."
Fangyu Wu, Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering and computer sciences at UC Berkeley and Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety (CSCRS) 2018 Road Safety Fellow at SafeTREC, is being given the Outstanding Ph.D. Student award for his commitments to ITS and Berkeley DeepDrive
Wu is described as "intelligent, resourceful, and reliable, and consistently supports his co-workers and acts as a mentor to junior researchers. His innovative spirit and collaborative attitude set him apart in all aspects of his research, especially in the NSF-funded multi-million-dollar initiative CIRCLES project."
The awards will be presented on Aug. 21, 2024 at Richmond Field Station.