Welcome back everyone and greetings to our new incoming students! As the Fall 2019 semester begins we would like to announce our upcoming events. This fall we welcome wonderful speakers and industry professionals to our seminars who will be sharing latest trends and their insights into the transportation field and skills critical for success. Here are the exciting events planned to date.  To attend one of these events, please contact Zhanibek Baktygali at [email protected].

Weds, Sept 18: Great Careers at LA Metro

We begin the year with Shalonda Baldwin, the Interim Executive Officer of Diversity and Economic Opportunity and Patrice McElroy, the Executive Officer & Talent Management at LA Metro sharing professional insights on how to better select, prepare for, pursue, and advance your career. Students interested in career opportunities, specifically in the transportation sector, are highly encouraged to attend this event.

Tues, Sept 24: Mentorship for Success

Rebecca Weintraub, Clinical Professor of Communication at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism will be leading this workshop about seeking out, providing, and maximizing the impact of mentoring. Weintraub has spent more than 20 years in the field of communication, facilitation, change management and organizational behavior. Weintraub returns to our series for her second year - based on our previous experience, attendees find this event extremely insightful and helpful.

Weds, Sept 25: Microtransit and Micromobility: Benefit or Boondoggle?

Professor Amelia Regan from University of California, Irvine will share her research and a discussion on costs, benefits, and the future of Microtransit and Micromobility services. Microtransit and Micromobility, initially hailed as environmentally friendly alternatives that would encourage households to give up one or more cars, have mostly increased congestion and pulled ridership out of transit and active modes. This talk will focus on the research examining the benefits to consumers, the costs in terms of congestion and sidewalk hazards, and the potential for more effective use of these services in the future. Come to learn more about these popular, but increasingly controversial methods of travel.

Thurs, Oct 3: Make way for Gen Z – Our Future Transportation Leaders!

A hands on, on-campus workshop for middle school students

We are excited to welcome nearly 100 Gen Z students to come to campus for a hands-on encounter with emerging technology, an immersion in higher education, and lively lessons teaching soft skills which are critical for the next generation of transportation technology leaders. Contact us to join the effort as a volunteer, to inspire the next generation, and shape the future of the industry.

Weds, Oct 9: Micro Sensors for Next Gen Smart Roads

Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering, Long Beach State University Mohammad Mozumdar will share his groundbreaking research and the result - his wireless micro sensor he developed for vehicle detection. Currently, transportation agencies implant vehicle detection sensors underneath the road pavement to collect traffic data using inefficient, decades-old sensing systems.  Professor Mozumdar’s new censor will change that.  Professor Mozumdar is well known for his engaging presentations, making technology understandable and accessible to those from all disciplines. We highly encourage you to take this opportunity to meet this inventor, learn firsthand about his cutting edge research, his revolutionary sensor, and get a glimpse of the future of transportation technology.

Tues, Oct 22: Leadership 3.0 – cosponsored by USC IPPAM

We are pleased to welcome Carol Geffner, Professor of Governance, Management and Policy at USC Price and Director of the USC Price Executive Master of Leadership Program, as a speaker again this year. Professor Geffner will continue her series of leadership workshops, Leadership as Improvisation, cosponsored by the USC Price International Public Policy and Management Program (IPPAM).

Sat, Oct 26: Foothill Transit Tour

Join us on October 26 for our ever popular, annual chartered bus trip to Foothill Transit facility for a behind-the-scenes experience with an award winning transit agency to explore their electric buses and revolutionary charging infrastructure.   

Weds, Oct 30: Identifying and Resolving Critical Collisions between Transportation and Ecosystems

Professor Fraser Shilling, faculty member of two graduate groups at University of California, Davis– the Transportation Technology & Policy group and the ecology Graduate Group, is an expert on design of GIS and informatics systems, development of indicator frameworks, working with marginalized communities in environmental policies, and educational programs/courses.  For this seminar, he will focus on critical issues when and where transportation and ecosystems must compete and coexist.

Weds, Nov 6: Electrification of Transportation & Careers at So Cal Edison

Southern California Edison (SCE)’s Dale Mendoza will discuss Electrification of Transportation & Careers at SCE, the primary electricity supply company for Southern California. This event will sharing insights both in technology and in careers in the public sector.

Fri, Nov 8: Port of Los Angeles Harbor Tour – cosponsored by NCST

You are invited to a private boat tour of the Port of Los Angeles Harbor with Port staff to guide us and answer questions about the Port and its projects, both planned and in progress. The tour will also enable you to get close to Port operations, see infrastructure projects and even sea lions basking in the sun.

Weds, Nov 13: Is Neighborhood Change Leading to Falling Transit Ridership?

Associate Professor of Urban Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Michael Manville will examine the impact of neighborhood change on falling transit ridership. Transit ridership in Southern California has been falling for over ten years. This ridership decline has multiple causes, but one that remains understudied is neighborhood change. Relatively few neighborhoods offer higher-quality transit service, and relatively few people (most of them lower-income) use transit. As transit-friendly neighborhoods become more expensive, are people who would ride transit being pushed to other areas, and depressing ridership. Professor Manville will present preliminary results into an examination of this question.

We hope you can take advantage of the many transportation events we are offering this fall.  For more information, or to reserve a spot, please contact Zhanibek Baktygali at [email protected].

About the Author:

Adylbek Abdykalikov is a graduate student in the International Public Policy and Management Program at USC Price. He has working experience in various positions at the Ministries of Transport and Communication and Investment and Development of Kazakhstan and was in charge of Transportation and Civil Aviation policy development and implementation, and serves as lead student event coordinator for METRANS and PSR.