Two Portland State Students Win WTS Transportation Scholarships
Each year, the Portland Chapter of WTS bestows scholarships to assist exceptional women in their educational pursuits in the field of transportation. The scholarships are competitive and based on the applicant’s specific goals, academic achievements, and transportation related activities. Two of the five scholarship winners this year are Portland State University transportation students in the Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program. Jamie Arnau and Dawn Walter were presented with their awards at the annual WTS Winter Gala on January 24, 2023.
Jamie Arnau: Helene M Overly Scholarship
Jamie Arnau is a second-year MURP student studying urban design. She is passionate about public space design, equity, and improving walking and transit experiences for all. She is currently a transportation planning intern at Nelson\Nygaard, working on active transportation, TDM, and transit planning projects. Before pursuing a career in urban planning, she worked in her hometown of Los Angeles as a digital marketer in the hospitality, entertainment, and non-profit sectors. Outside of work, she enjoys singing karaoke and daydreaming about train rides in France and Japan. She earned her Bachelor's in Global Studies from UCLA in 2013.
Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn
Dawn Walter: Leadership Legacy Scholarship
Dawn Walter is a first-year MURP student studying transportation planning. Dawn’s focus within the MURP program is pedestrian infrastructure, specifically how to improve it and connect it best with public transit to increase accessibility for all community members. When she is not passionately arguing for more curb cuts, she is attending shows, walking around museums, reading books, and imagining her next big trip. Before coming to Portland and enrolling at PSU, Dawn worked as the executive assistant to the general director of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Missouri. She earned her Bachelors in Business Administration and Theatre from Illinois State University in 2017.
Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is home to the U.S. DOT funded National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), PORTAL, BikePed Portal and other transportation grants and programs. We produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education and participation in research.
Photos courtesy of WTS Portland