U of T Engineering students Mahia Anhara (Year 3 CivE),  Alaa Itani (CivMin PhD candidate), and Felita Ong (CivMin MASc candidate) have been awarded scholarships by the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) Toronto area chapter. Joanna Ilunga-Kapinga, who is pursuing a master’s in Planning at U of T, was also recipient. The scholarships support outstanding female students in the transportation sector.

WTS International was established in 1977 to provide women with professional development, encouragement and recognition, to support their advancement in transportation professions. It is a member organization with chapters worldwide, including the WTS Toronto Area Chapter established in 2013. The scholarships were announced at the WTS Virtual Conference on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2020.

After completing her third year, Anhara began working as an engineering intern in the Vision Zero Projects Unit at the City of Toronto, as part of her Professional Experience Year Co-op (PEY Co-op). Currently in this role, she is helping to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by designing safer streets and intersections for all road users. She was also involved in designing temporary bike lanes on a major road in her neighbourhood, which enables her to bike conveniently and safely to stores, the library, and parks.

At U of T, Anhara is very involved in U of T Engineering clubs. She is currently the PEY Co-op Representative and a mentor in the Civil Engineering Discipline Club. She is also a Project Manager in the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association (CECA) – U of T Student Chapter.

Mahia believes that roads should not only be designed for motorists, but for all road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and transit users so that everyone can access amenities and opportunities safely and equitably.

“Many North American cities have been designed in a way to prioritize automobiles,” she says. “This has led to the rise of inequality, degradation of physical and mental health, and the exacerbation of climate change. I’m inspired to study transportation to help address these issues and make cities more walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly.”

She wants to pursue a career in developing transportation systems that provide people from all walks of life with improved transit access and safer streets for biking and walking. She looks forward to being an agent in transforming cities to become more resilient and vibrant.

Itani specializes in public transit operations and research under the supervision of Professor Amer Shalaby (CivMin). She is interested in the field of bus-hailing, dial-a-ride, and flexible transit services where her research focuses on planning and understanding the policies and guidelines of these services in this era of emerging technology and automation.

An active volunteer, Itani is currently the administrative officer of the University of Toronto Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Student Chapter. She also participated in multiple volunteer roles at the recent TransitData 2020 online international symposium.

Since January 2020, Itani has presented her research at four public forums, beginning with the prestigious Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in January. In April, she presented at Esri Canada’s GIS in Education and Research Conference. In June, Itani presented at both Transformative Transportation ’20 and the iCity Research Days Webinar Series.

In addition to volunteering and presenting her research, Alaa also participated in a hackathon on urban transit data, and most recently, in the 2020 ITS Canada Essay Competition where she won second prize.

Alaa is motivated by her personal, lived experience: “I have a passion for transit and I will continue working towards more equitable transportation options, as I grew up in a city that did not have a public transport network, and I struggled a lot getting around in my own city.”

Ong has experience in transportation planning and operations through her work in both the public and private sectors. Her research focuses on investigating the demand competition between ride-hailing services and public transit to help transit agencies make evidence-based policies and planning decisions.

She is passionate about introducing young students to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), including transportation engineering. She is currently a high school mentor through the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) U of T Chapter, and was previously an instructor for the UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach, a non-profit organization that promotes STEM to young students throughout British Columbia.

Ong is proud that her research has real-world benefits: “Transportation is a multidisciplinary field that has a direct impact on everyday lives. I hope to contribute to a sustainable, equitable, and efficient transportation system.”