Originally called the Women in Transportation Seminar, WTS annually awards scholarships to support women studying in the field of transportation. These competitive scholarships are awarded to applicants who are assessed by their goals, academic achievements, and transportation related activities.
This year two of the scholarships were awarded to Portland State University (PSU) students. Jiahui Ma and Lydia Ivanovic will be presented with the awards during the 2026 WTS Scholarships at the 2026 WTS Scholarships and Awards Gala.
Congratulations to the 2026 WTS scholars of PSU!
Jiahui Ma:
Jiahui Ma is a PhD student in Urban Studies at Portland State University focusing on travel behavior. Her research examines how social contexts and psychological factors shape adolescents' public transit use and attitudes. During her internship at Metro, she worked with the Regional Travel Options team to build tools and analyses that support transportation programs and policy decisions. Her career goal is to contribute to a more sustainable and effective transportation system by translating behavioral research into actionable policy and program design. Outside of work, she enjoys tennis, parks and plants.
Connect with Jiahui on LinkedIn.
Lydia Ivanovic:
Lydia Ivanovic is a first-year PSU Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning student where she combines her passion for equitable transportation with affordable housing to pursue a career in transit-oriented development – a field she gained insight into while interning at Metro. She looks forward to taking on greater leadership and peer-learning as a Project Coordinator with PSU’s Planning, Sustainability & Logistics Office alongside serving as the Engagement Chair of the Students in Transportation Engineering and Planning (STEP) club. She plans to further her skills as a transportation planning intern with TYLin. In her free time, she loves to bike-pack, ice skate, and host potluck dinners.
Connect with Lydia on LinkedIn.
Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is a multidisciplinary hub for all things transportation. We are home to the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), the data programs PORTAL and BikePed Portal, the Better Block PSU program, and PSU's membership in PacTrans, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium. Our continuing goal is to produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education, seminars, and participation in research. To get updates about what's happening at TREC, sign up for our monthly newsletter or follow us on social media.
