By Deng Yang, MSCE 2018

We are pleased to introduce Lead Student Assistant Madhurima (Maddie) Bhattacharyya, who recently joined the Center’s administrative team. Maddie was born and raised in India where she completed her Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from KIIT University in 2015. After graduating, she worked as a Programmer Analyst Trainee at Cognizant Technology Solutions for a year. She is now pursuing a Master of Science (MS) in Engineering Management at the Epstein Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, USC.

(Photo by Madhurima Bhattacharyya)

Maddie learned of METRANS from a USC Alumnus, Price MPL Sandipan Bhattacharjee -  (read more about him here:  https://www.metrans.org/news/where-are-they-now-sandipan-bhattacharjee). Maddie said, “He strongly urged me to apply to join METRANS as it would be an extremely good learning opportunity. I got in touch with Vicki (Dr. Victoria Valentine Deguzman, Associate Director, METRANS Administration) and volunteered to staff numerous events. Since I had experience in organizing events during the course of my undergraduate studies, I was vying for a similar role here at METRANS. Fortunately, I was appointed the events coordinator for METRANS. This field gives me an opportunity to hone my management skills as I coordinate with various people to organize an event. Also, I get in-depth knowledge about the field of transportation. For instance, working with METRANS, I have been exposed to their many programs, and have realized the important application of GIS in planning and how LA Metro plays such a significant role in Los Angeles County transportation.”

Sharing her future plans, Maddie said, “I wish to pursue project management in technology-based companies. As a project manager in the future, I must integrate with people to get tasks done. This requires me to develop excellent people skills which is precisely what my current job is teaching me. As the METRANS Events Coordinator, I get the opportunity to learn how to manage and coordinate with people from diverse backgrounds. "

As the Lead Student Assistant, Maddie organizes every event and supervises the other student assistants. She exhibits passion and energy while talking about her role at METRANS. Taking responsibility for every METRANS events is not an easy thing, but after working with her, her wonderful personality inspires me to work better myself.  I know I speak for the entire student team when I say that we all work harder and better under her leadership, and are proud to call her our boss. What more could we want from our student lead?  

And our Associate Director, who heads up our student programming and assistants agree.  “We are so grateful to our alum, Sandi, for sending Maddie our way. Maddie has an impressive ability to see the big picture while maintaining attention to detail and is well liked and respected by her fellow student assistants.  She proved herself to be the obvious choice for Lead Assistant for the coming year and we could not be happier to have her in this role on the METRANS team,” said Deguzman.

Author Yang Deng is a first-year graduate student majoring in Transportation Engineering at USC. He joined in METRANS as a student assistant in December 2016 and also works at KENDALL Planning + Design as an assistant planner. Deng holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial design, and is pursuing internships in his areas of interest such as data visualization, infographics, and using design methods solve traffic problems. He can be reached at [email protected]