On behalf of METRANS on the Move, our student created and produced weekly newsletter, I am pleased to welcome its new Editor-in-Chief, Priyanka Ramasamy. Ramasamy is a second-year Master of Civil Engineering – Transportation Engineering student, and will take over the management of newsletter content, coordination of writing assignments, and publishing, from me.  I am graduating this spring, and while I will miss this position, I know the newsletter is in good hands. 

Ramasamy  joined the METRANS student team in February, and began by handling the event section of the newsletter. Prior to that, she was an active METRANS event attendee and impressed METRANS Associate Director Victoria Deguzman with her outstanding sense of responsibility. When she volunteered to write a newsletter article on a recent panel event, she went above and beyond, seeking out numerous attendees and panelists to collect comprehensive feedback from the event, and we know she will bring this level of dedication to her new position.

Ramasamy is excited to take on this new task, and notes that she has learned so much already from her participation to date.  “This job has helped me improve my communication and writing skills a lot,” she shared.  “Working with METRANS, I get to meet a lot of professionals in the transportation industry, learn various issues in transportation and improve myself as a professional. The great METRANS team benefits me in becoming a better person and a better professional to serve the community in all ways possible.”

Born and raised in India, Ramasamy developed her strong interest in transportation with the ambition to better serve communities. Before joining USC, she was the board director of Selvavinayak Logistics, a family-run business in logistics and trucking in Chennai, India. She aims to pursue a career as a transportation engineer in Southern California, to learn and become proficient in transportation system design and optimization, with the long-term goal of developing smart city plans back in India.

About the Author: Rui (Rae) Zhang

Rui (Rae) Zhang is a second-year Master of Planning student at USC Price School with transportation concentration. She expects to graduate in May 2018 and is looking for internships and full-time employment opportunities as a transportation/environmental planner. She can be reached at [email protected] or through personal portfolio website www.ruizhangportfolio.com.