If there’s anything that’s synonymous with Davis, California, it’s bicycles. Heralded as the “Bicycling Capital of America,” Davis was the first city in the country to install separate bike lanes 50 years ago, has more bike lanes per capita than any U.S. municipality, boasts the nation’s highest bicycling commute mode share, and is home to the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.
ITS-Davis researchers and those throughout UC Davis have played a leading role in making the university a living laboratory for the study of bicycling. Now their research is all collected together at a new website.
Four decades of insights by UC Davis researchers on bicycling as an increasingly important mode of transportation with benefits for both human health and the environment comprise the recently launched UC Davis Bicycle Research Collection. The collection covers a wide array of research topics, including bicycling behavior, dynamics, infrastructure, and policy.
The debut of the site by the National Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST), led by ITS-Davis, couldn’t have been timelier, with the City of Davis hosting the 2017 International Cycling Safety Conference on September 20-23. The first time the event is being held outside of Europe, the prestigious conference draws international attendees discussing the key emerging issues on bicycling safety. The NCST is an institutional sponsor of the conference, and the NCST Director Susan Handy is one of the conference organizers along with fellow UC Davis professors Jason Moore, Deb Niemeier, and Mont Hubbard, professor emeritus. (UC Davis has posted a news article on the conference and its focus, along with the university’s involvement.)
“We’re proud to launch this impressive collection of high-level bicycle research performed here at the university, just as international experts on cycling safety convene in Davis,” said Handy. “Our goal is to make this new website a living repository of the latest UC Davis studies on active transportation research.”
To go to the UC Davis Bicycle Research Collection, click here.
As the chief liaison between the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and the State Legislature, ITS-Davis transportation alum Sydney Vergis’ job is decidedly fast-paced.
“[The legislative session] gets started in the spring and really ramps up in the summer and then comes to conclusion in the fall,” said Vergis, speaking by phone while on a brief break from her demanding schedule. “So we’re in the middle of our busy season,” she said.
Sydney Vergis (right) with husband Anthony Eggert on the John Muir trail
As acting legislative director, Vergis facilitates policy briefings by ARB representatives for legislative staff. She also examines and analyzes how proposed bills may affect ARB and identifies the agency’s legislative needs.
Founded a half century ago, ARB is arguably the world’s most influential regulatory body formulating policies on air quality and emissions.
“California has some of the most ambitious air quality and climate goals in the world and ARB is one of the primary agencies that is charged with achieving those goals,” Vergis said. “I am fortunate to work as part of the team to ensure that the agency has appropriate legislative authorities and resources to achieve its mission.”
What path did Vergis take to her current job? She worked as a land-use planner for several years and was drawn to the interaction of land-use and transportation in infrastructure planning. She enrolled in ITS-Davis’ Transportation Technology and Policy (TTP) graduate program, earning her master’s degree in 2013 and her doctorate last year.
“While at ITS-Davis, my dream definitely became to work at the Air Resources Board.” Vergis said. “Both the TTP graduate program and ARB have a very multidisciplinary take on environmental issues and potential solutions. Certainly, Professor and ARB board member Dan Sperling, who was my doctoral advisor, provided great perspective and guidance on how to advance technology through policy.”
Sydney Vergis (left) with ITS-Davis Director Dan Sperling at Vergis’ 2016 graduation
Vergis began her work with ARB while still enrolled at ITS-Davis, serving as a legislative analyst on several ARB projects, including air pollution modelling, and serving as lead staff on the agency’s Sustainable Freight pathways project.
Vergis looks back fondly on her time at ITS-Davis and the connections she made here.
“ITS-Davis has really paved the way [for my career] and helped give me the foundation to be successful here at the Air Resources Board,” she said. She especially valued having the opportunity as a UC Davis student to interface with industry and to collaborate with faculty on the development of low emission technologies and policy.
After graduating from ITS-Davis’ TTP program, Vergis continues to keep in contact with several ITS alums. She has a special connection with one: her husband, Anthony Eggert, a notable ITS-Davis alum (M.S., TTP, 2001) and the founding director of the UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy. Today, he serves as a program director working on clean transportation at the philanthropic NGO, the ClimateWorks Foundation.
Vergis and Eggert are clearly a couple who “espouse” sustainable transportation. And Eggert is justifiably gratified by his wife’s commitment and accomplishments.
“When I first met Sydney at UC Davis, I immediately knew she was a smart and talented woman who would do great things,” Eggert said. “She has served on local commissions, is active in volunteer organizations, and has pursued a doctoral degree and career focused on clean technology and policy, all in service of making our local community and the world a better place to live. I am proud of her.”
Outside of work, Sydney and Anthony’s transportation pursuits are of the active variety—cycling and hiking. The two have biked the Danube River from eastern Germany to Vienna Austria, and previously cycled to the top of Mont Ventoux—the nearly 2,000-meter mountain known as the “beast of Provence” that has tested Tour de France riders. Late last year they backpacked a portion of the John Muir Trail south of Mammoth, an experience that made a strong impression on her.
“The mountains, the valleys, the rivers all together along one trail made me appreciate nature and my small role in protecting it.”
What advice does Vergis have for UC Davis transportation graduate students? Cultivate the connections that ITS-Davis offers with other academic research institutions, as well as the partnerships with industry, nonprofits, and government.
“ITS-Davis does a really good job of thinking about and analyzing the real-world issues that policy makers need to understand in order to make well-informed decisions,” Vergis said. “It’s unique for an academic program and something you should take advantage of.”
The #AggiesAtWork series is done in partnership with the UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association. View other AggiesAtWork stories:
Energy and transportation technology and policy expert Dr. Austin Brown has been named the new Executive Director of the UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, the Environment, and the Economy. The Policy Institute acts as a bridge between scientific researchers and decision-makers to deliver credible, relevant, and timely information and analysis—assisting and informing the policymaking process in Sacramento, Washington, D.C., and internationally.
Dr. Brown will lead the Institute at a time of extraordinary change and opportunity: California has emerged today as the de facto global leader on environmental, energy and transportation issues, with UC Davis faculty at the forefront of bringing science to climate policy via applied research
Professor and Founding Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies Dr. Dan Sperling welcomed the appointment. “Austin brings a blend of research credentials, leadership skills, and strategic vision that will elevate the work of the Policy Institute, serve the broader UC Davis community, and forge dynamic partnerships.”
Most recently, Dr. Brown was the Assistant Director for Clean Energy and Transportation in the Obama White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. His work there focused on transformative options for clean transportation, including clean energy, energy efficiency, efficient and electrified vehicles, renewable fuels, vehicle automation, and novel transportation systems.
Dr. Brown was trained as a scientist and holds a B.S. in Physics from Harvey Mudd College and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Stanford University. With this scientific training, he transitioned to Washington to connect science to policy decisions, especially federal clean energy research. His work at the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory dramatically improved the understanding of possible sustainable futures and helped inform federal research and development investments. He is also on the adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins University, where he teaches classes on transportation technology and policy.
“I’m honored and excited to join UC Davis at this incredibly important and exciting time,” Dr. Brown said. “UC Davis is a thought leader in the research that policymakers need to make key decisions in the months and years ahead. I look forward to doing my part to build strong collaborations to solve the world’s toughest energy and environmental challenges.”
The Policy Institute leverages world-class university expertise and engages directly with decision-makers to deliver credible, relevant, and timely information and analysis to inform better energy, climate and transportation policies. The Institute engages in all aspects of the policy process: understanding the needs of policymakers to inform research questions and projects, proactively delivering accessible and timely research findings to legislative and administrative leadership and staff, and undertaking analysis and evaluation to improve existing policies.
If there ever was any doubt that earning a graduate degree in sustainable transportation at UC Davis is an “elevating” experience, those doubts were removed at the June 15 commencement ceremonies for our 2017 doctoral and master’s degree graduates.
ITS-Davis is the host of the interdisciplinary Transportation and Technology Policy (TTP) graduate group program, through which many of our graduates earn their degrees. We also welcome graduates from other departments at the university [Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Ecology]who focus their studies on transportation.
Pictured in the more staid shot (before the celebrations broke out) are this year’s grads, with faculty. From the left:
Maria Brum – Ph.D., Ecology
Professor Michael Zhang – CEE/TTP faculty
Huajun Chai – Ph.D ., CEE
Professor Yueyue Fan- CEE/TTP faculty
Yudi Yang – Ph.D. , CEE (tall grad in back)
Yizhen Zhang – Ph.D., TTP (standing in front of Yudi)
Huijing Deng – Ph.D., TTP
Xiuli Zhang – M.S., TTP
Laura Cackette – M.S., TTP
Arthur Wu – M.S., TTP
Sarah Strand – M.S., TTP
Dominique Meroux – M.S .,TTP
Drew Heckathorn – M.S., TTP
Professor John Harvey – CEE/TTP faculty
Congratulations to all for your great achievement. We look forward to the transformations you’ll be bringing to the field of transportation in the coming years.
To learn more about how to take your career in transportation to new heights at UC Davis, go here.
In his quest for the solution for today’s environmental problems, Ted Buehler, M.S., Transportation Technology and Policy (TTP), 2008, turns to bicycles.
Buehler has been interested in environmental issues throughout his life. After getting his undergraduate degree in botany, Buehler became interested in regional planning at University of British Columbia (UBC), where he began his legacy of bicycle advocacy by starting the UBC Bike Co-op.
Drawn to Davis because of its prominence as a bicycling city, Buehler enrolled in the TTP program at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis), where he wrote his thesis on the history of bicycling in Davis and the decline of the university’s cycling habits in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Buehler’s 2007 thesis was presented to a Standing Room Only audience at the Varsity Theater in Davis and helped launch the bicycle advocacy group DavisBicycles (now known as Bike Davis). Continuing his activism, he has, since then, moved to Portland, Oregon where he has been a co-chair of the bicycle advocacy group, BikeLoudPDX.
“We’re a grassroots membership-driven advocacy organization and we do media output, we talk to government officials, we reach out to other people in the bicycle constituency and we set out tables and encourage people to send postcards,” Buehler said. “With my background in transportation planning, I try to draw out proposals for what should be done. I don’t like to tell people what to do, but sometimes people do need a push in the right direction.”
“Ted Buehler (right) at Oregon’s Active Transportation Summit with BikeLoudPDX co-chairs Emily Guise and Jessica Engelman (Photo credits: BikeLoudPDX)”
Buehler’s dedication to bicycle advocacy stems from his interest in trying to solve environmental issues. He believes that implementing biking policies and promoting bicycling can fix several environmental as well as social problems within communities.
“I’ve always seen bicycling as a unique silver bullet to environmental problems—especially transportation problems. There are a lot of cars in this world swallowing up fossil fuels and creating environmental instability,” Buehler said. “Bicycling is a good public health activity. It’s a very good social activity because it puts people face to face on the street. It gets rid of fossil fuel use and there are a lot of economic benefits to the biker. It cuts down noise pollution and air pollution. In the transportation world, some people study electric cars and some people study transit and all these things are fine. But one way we can cut all of these problems down is if we focus on bicycling.”
Buehler has found that bicyclists can face opposition and hurdles from the public when trying to enact bicycle-friendly policies. During his time with ITS-Davis, Buehler unearthed Davis’ long history of bicycle activism and social progress through interviews with older Davis residents who have lived in the college town for several decades. Despite that Davis is a small college town and its ideal geography for becoming a biking community, Buehler found that the citizens of Davis really had to rally together to turn it into the well-known biking town it is today.
“Bicycle advocates looked at Davis and thought their cities could never become like Davis, but that’s not a defensible theory. There are places that have the same geography as Davis, but those cities did not become places that had large numbers of people riding bikes,” Buehler said. “And so the real reason that Davis became a bicycle oriented city was because of the citizen advocates that lined up in the ‘50s and ‘60s and promoted bicycling and the university was behind them, enabling Davis to become a bicycling city.”
The sort of movement to push for bicycling that occurred in Davis is what inspires bicycle advocates in cities across the United States. Buehler wants to use this sort of inspiration to further push new bicycling policies as well as safer traffic policies in the city of Portland. Buehler hopes to change the public views on bicycle infrastructure and improve the image of cycling in the media. He is also involved in the movement to get Oregon to adopt a Vision-Zero Policy to significantly lower the state’s number of traffic fatalities. Buehler is also training his peers in BikeLoudPDX in transportation planning.
Buehler feels that both his research for his thesis as well as the instruction he got through TTP helped give him the skills he needed to pursue his passion for bicycle activism. He encourages students to take advantage of the resources that ITS-Davis provides and the environment of UC Davis in general.
“All of the faculty are very involved and very passionate about their research and are also very accessible. This was my third graduate program and the faculty was so much more available–something ITS-Davis students should really appreciate,” Buehler said. “I also encourage everyone to learn how to ride a bike when they go to Davis. There’s just a confluence of benefits from bicycling. And I might also add that bicycling is a lot of fun.”
Already known for excellence in transportation research and education, UC Davis now has its own WTS student chapter to help women network and advance their professional careers.
Founded in February by students in the ITS-Davis hosted Transportation Technology and Policy graduate program, the chapter’s formation was initiated by master’s student Sarah Strand with the goal of supporting young women interested in pursuing a career in transportation. After Sarah shared her vision, master’s classmate Albee Wei joined the cause to help other UC Davis transportation students create meaningful connections.
Founded as the Women’s Transportation Seminar 40 years ago, WTS is an international organization with chapters across the U.S. WTS is dedicated to building the future of transportation through the global advancement of women. WTS has more than 6,500 members, including both women and men, and offers professional networks, leadership skills, and educational opportunities to help women advance their careers.
“The driving mission behind WTS is to support women in the transportation industry because it is historically male dominated,” said Strand. “Currently 47% of the US workforce is comprised of women, yet only 13% of the transportation industry is. Women transportation professionals can expect to be paid less than 80 cents on the dollar for the same work completed by a man in the industry.”
WTS officers (from left to right) Eleni Jacobson, Erina Kitamura, Albee Wei, Sarah Strand, Farnaz Feizi (not pictured: Aditi Meshram)
The WTS UC Davis student chapter held its kick-off meeting in February soliciting feedback from interested members to help develop programs that directly respond to student needs and interests. Strand reported a great turnout with attendees spanning a broad spectrum of professional backgrounds, disciplines, and academic levels. Attendees expressed strong interest in career development and professional networking opportunities for transportation students, including resume-building workshops, mock interviews, project tours, and presentations from invited speakers.
WTS UC Davis is the fourteenth WTS student chapter founded nationwide and only the fourth in California—preceded by San Diego State University, Cal Poly Pomona, and UCLA. Both Strand and Wei were inspired to start the WTS student chapter after participating in WTS as professionals prior to attending UC Davis. Strand witnessed the formation of California’s first WTS student chapter while working as a regional transportation planner in San Diego three years ago.
“I worked with a couple of graduate students who founded the first student chapter in the state at SDSU and I saw what an excellent resource it was for young women and how fulfilling the experience was for my colleagues” said Strand, who became active with WTS in San Diego. “So two years ago—once I knew I’d attend graduate school at the Institute for Transportation Studies—I confirmed that there wasn’t a WTS student chapter or any similar organization on campus and made it a personal goal to bring this important resource to UC Davis before I graduated.“
Similarly, Wei shared that she first learned about WTS through colleagues while working for an engineering firm in Sacramento. “Many engineers and planners in my company are involved with the WTS Sacramento chapter and they have a great opportunity to get to know other transportation professionals, so I knew WTS was a great resource,” said Wei. “When Sarah said she wanted to start a WTS [student chapter] I was immediately onboard because I know members of our chapter will benefit from the professional and personal connections they form through WTS, both now and after they graduate.”
Strand recently participated in the inaugural WTS Sacramento Mentorship program and was awarded scholarships by the Sacramento chapter two years in a row. This academic year, she received the WTS Sacramento 2017 Leadership Legacy Scholarship and Wei was the honorary recipient of the Helene M. Overly Memorial Graduate Scholarship. In previous years, other UC Davis women transportation students have been similarly honored by WTS Sacramento.
In addition to developing new on campus resources for transportation students, Strand and Wei want to encourage greater student participation in WTS Sacramento and guide students to the many benefits and programs provided by their sister organization, including scholarships, mentorship programs, and networking opportunities. They also realized, however, that attending Sacramento chapter events can prove difficult for students who lack transportation or are unable to fit meetings into their academic schedules.
“As students here at UC Davis, we recognize some of the challenges to participating in Sacramento chapter events because they’re often held all over the region, so it’s limiting, especially if you don’t have a car,” said Strand. “And so we thought it would be valuable to have a resource here on campus that’s much more accessible to students at all levels.”
Both women hope that WTS at UC Davis will better connect students, faculty and researchers, and transportation professionals in the region. They believe the student chapter will help to advance young women in the transportation in the industry by reaching out to them early on in their careers.
“By joining WTS, students get an advantage that hopefully helps them to not only become leaders in the transportation industry, but also a lifelong WTS members,” said Strand. “Professionals who will continue to reach down to mentor other young women in transportation in the future.”
Both Strand and Wei emphasized that, despite the name, WTS at UC Davis does not restrict membership to women. In fact, they strongly encouraged men to get involved in the chapter. “Men who are sensitive to women in the workplace help make a better environment for everybody,” said Wei. “And employers who see potential in women will get more benefits because there’s a whole pool of talented women out there.”
Strand and Wei expressed appreciation to National Center for Sustainable Director, Professor Susan Handy, who will be acting as their faculty advisor, as well as to the WTS Sacramento chapter for providing financial support and helping to navigate the WTS chapter formation process.
“The WTS Sacramento Chapter has been our sister chapter throughout the entire process, championing us every step of the way and helping to make us successful,” said Strand.
The WTS UC Davis student chapter held their first official board meeting on March 3 and will hold back-to-back events in late-April:
• Career Exploration Panel on Friday, April 28 bringing transportation professionals to campus to share their career experiences with students.
• “Bike Social” inviting interested members on a Saturday, April 29 bike ride around Davis, followed by refreshments.
UC Davis Engineering Professor Deb Niemeier has been elected as a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
Professor Niemeier, who serves on the ITS-Davis faculty, was one of two UC Davis professors in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to receive the honor—“among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer,” noted NAE in its announcement.
Professor Niemeier was recognized for her work “developing groundbreaking tools to characterize the impact of transportation emissions on air quality and environmental justice.” On faculty at UC Davis since 1994, her work combines studies of vehicle emissions, air quality, transportation modeling and the impacts of air pollution on communities. Niemeier is founding director of the Sustainable Design Academy at UC Davis and has served as editor-in-chief of Transportation Research, Part A and Sustainable Cities and Society.
The two UC Davis NAE honorees, Professor Niemeier and Professor Ross Boulanger, will be feted at a March 20 reception hosted by the UC Davis College of Engineering. They bring the total of current or retired UC Davis faculty who are members of NAE to 13.
“The academy’s induction of professors Boulanger and Niemeier shines a much deserved spotlight on their phenomenal work to make the world a better place,” said Interim Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter. “Their achievements exemplify the university’s public service commitment at its best, with discoveries that help us better understand and mitigate the effects of life-threatening earthquakes and air pollution in California and beyond.”
Niemeier and Boulanger were among 84 new members and 22 foreign members elected by NAE. Elected members will be formally inducted at NAE’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 8, 2017.
Four ITS-Davis graduate students have received prestigious awards to pursue their transportation research and studies in the current academic year.
Autumn Bernstein was awarded a Switzer Fellowship, Sarah Strand a Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) scholarship, and Calvin Thigpen and Dillon Fitch-Polse were recipients of Eisenhower Fellowships for the second consecutive year.
Transportation Technology and Policy (TTP) master’s student, Autumn Bernstein received the Switzer Fellowship for her research on regional transportation agencies and their role in advancing California’s climate change and sustainability mandates. The one-year fellowship is offered by the Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation to highly talented students whose studies and career goals are directed towards environmental improvement.
Bernstein has a long history of involvement in environmental activism, as a grassroots organizer for 15 years as well as a policy advocate in several communities throughout California. Her research focuses on the interactions between state and local transportation agencies to achieve California’s groundbreaking climate change and sustainability mandates.
Autumn Bernstein
“California leads the nation with ambitious policies to make our transportation system more sustainable, but most transportation decisions are made locally,” said Bernstein. “I want to understand how we bridge the gap between state policy and local action, and I’m grateful to the Switzer Foundation for supporting that effort.”
TTP Master’s student Sarah Strand was awarded the Leadership Legacy Scholarship by WTS. This prestigious WTS scholarship is awarded to young women studying transportation who have demonstrated leadership skills and are committed to community service. As part of her commitment to leadership, Strand said that she plans to help establish the first WTS-UC Davis Student Chapter in the near future.
Sarah Strand (Left) and Yishu (Albee) Wei (Right)
“I’m deeply honored to receive the 2017 Leadership Legacy Scholarship and proud to announce that I am actively working with the WTS Sacramento Board and Dr. Susan Handy to initiate the first WTS Student Chapter at UC Davis and the fourth in the State,” said Strand. “The WTS-UCD Student Chapter will help strengthen and reinforce connections between transportation professionals in our region and valuable research being conducted at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, and will equally connect students to the excellent networks and resources provided by WTS, which I myself have benefited greatly from over the past year.”
Other winners of WTS scholarships were TTP master’s student Yishu (Albee) Wei and Civil and Environmental Engineering doctoral candidate Rosaria Berliner, who were honorary recipients of the Helene M. Overly Memorial Graduate Scholarship and the Leader Legacy Scholarship respectively.
For the second time, TTP doctoral candidates Calvin Thigpen and Dillon Fitch-Polse were awarded Eisenhower Fellowships, having both initially received the honor in the 2015-16 academic year. For 2016-17, Fitch-Polse received the full fellowship award of $35,500.
Each year, Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowships are awarded nationally to approximately 150-200 students pursuing degrees in transportation-related disciplines. With the help of the fellowship, both Thigpen and Fitch-Polse were able to present their research at the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) 95th Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. in January.
Thigpen presented his dissertation research, which studies how young people are affected by “mobility capital,” determined by their own travel experiences. Thigpen has also had two of his papers published and received a National Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST) dissertation fellowship.
Calvin Thigpen
“I feel fortunate to receive an Eisenhower fellowship for a second time. It’s even more helpful this year, because I will be applying for postdoctoral and faculty positions over the next several months,” said Thigpen. “I have continued making progress on my dissertation, which I’m planning to submit by the end of next summer.”
Since receiving the Eisenhower award renewal, Fitch-Polse has bolstered and deepened the research of his dissertation, a study of how road environments influence bicyclists. He believes that his research’s use of both basic and applied sciences were its greatest strengths.
Dillion Fitch Polse
“I was ecstatic to learn that I was awarded the Eisenhower award this year. I always consider the Eisenhower award a long shot because of the national pool of students that apply, and when I received the largest available award I was astounded,” said Fitch-Polse. “I’m hopeful that my dissertation will help researchers understand how the road environment shapes bicycling behavior, but also help practitioners build more sustainable urban plans.”
