Katherine Keeling graduated from Portland State University (PSU) in 2022 with a Master's in civil engineering. She is now a Senior Analyst in Operations & Finance Planning at TriMet.

Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn

What do you do in your current role, and what does a typical day look like? 

I am a Senior Analyst for Operations & Finance Planning. As this title suggests, my main focus is estimating the operations & maintenance costs associated with a change in transit operations. Depending on the impetus, I might be collaborating with transit planners, maintenance experts, executives, or engineering & construction project managers.

How did your experience at PSU shape your path into the transportation field?

I actually keep my PSU transportation engineering notes at my cubicle desk! When I joined a team of analysts, I felt lacking in my understanding of data structures. But I decided to lean into my experience as a researcher to vet assumptions/methodologies, elevate the communication of findings, and to integrate scholarly knowledge into the interpretation of TriMet’s internal data. This became my professional voice!

What advice would you give to current students or recent grads interested in a career in transportation? 

Don’t let fear hold you back from asking all the questions that you need answered! For me, it was tough to be vulnerable enough to ask questions in a large meetings with seasoned professionals, but demonstrating a genuine intent to understand and engage will always pay off! Plus, transportation folks appreciate enthusiasm and heart, not just technical skills.

What’s one project or accomplishment you’re especially proud of in your career so far?

A fun project was drumming up ridership studies to help TriMet negotiate a Ticket-to-Ride campaign with Providence Park; now any Timbers/Thorns/concert ticket is valid fare on event days! It’s a fun way to make transit a part of people’s memories.

Photo courtesy of TriMet. This is an installment in a Transportation Alumni Highlight series, showcasing Portland State University (PSU) graduates who are making a difference in the world of transportation. 

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. 

Portland State University's Class of 2025 celebrated its commencement ceremonies this past weekend, and we'd like to take a moment to highlight two graduates of the Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning who devoted their time at PSU to improving the accessibility of transportation services.

Minju Song and Jules Plotts each focused their graduate studies on addressing transportation challenges for particular communities: Song's PhD dissertation examined ride-hailing as a potential solution for older adults who can no longer drive, and Plotts' masters thesis focused on non-daytime shift workers and their access to transit. TREC is proud to congratulate both of these outstanding grads, and looking forward to seeing their next chapter!

Jules Mai Plotts received her masters in Urban Studies, and is now doing a regional planning internship at Metro. She hopes her future career will make an impact on climate and equity. Connect with Jules on LinkedIn

Minju Song (nee Kim) received her PhD in Urban Studies, and is now looking for research or planning roles where she can continue working on transportation equity and accessibility. Connect with Minju on LinkedIn

Learn more about each of these two outstanding grads below.

Jules Mai Plotts

Thesis: Geography of Non-Daytime Work and Employer-Centered Transit Accessibility 
Data Dashboard: Nightshift Transit Explorer

As a Masters student in Urban Studies, with a focus on applied research in transportation, Jules developed a keen interest in the role data plays in improving transportation equity. For her thesis she modeled network accessibility to shift-work-related jobs by nighttime/off-peak transit using data from General Transit Feed Specifications (GTFS) and Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD).

She also created a dashboard, the Nightshift Transit Explorer, that lets users visualize case studies on a map and see the locations of large employers and their workforces. This type of tool could help transit agencies or large employers develop predictive scheduling or add new routes where they are most needed. For example, a large employer in an isolated industrial area would require different solutions from a clustering of small food service employers along an established transit corridor.

People with these hours work in a variety of industries including transportation, warehousing, food service, and healthcare, yet many transportation models focus on "peak" commute times based on a 9-5 office work schedule. Experiencing evening shift work firsthand inspired Plotts to adopt this research topic.

"I used to work out in Beaverton at a restaurant. I would get out late, and my commute back via transit was sometimes good, and sometimes just terrible. It wasn't very far—maybe ten minutes by car—but it would be over an hour sometimes, just to get back. I remember this very clearly: once I missed my transfer bus, so I was kind of stranded waiting for the next one. I remember this guy with an orange vest, he looked like he had come from a construction site. He was like, 'Yeah, they don't really make these schedules for us.' So this is clearly a problem that not just restaurant workers have, but other people, too," Plotts said.

Her thesis looked at the geography of non-daytime work and then modeled transit accessibility. Unlike traditional models that start from home locations, this approach starts from the job site to ask: Who can reach this job by transit—and when?

"Lower wage workers tend to work different shifts. And so a peak hour analysis might not be the best to meet their needs," Plotts said.

Minju Song

Dissertation: Is Ride-Hailing a Potential Solution for Older Adults After Driving Cessation? The Role of Objective and Perceived Accessibility

Minju Song received a PhD in Urban Studies as well as a graduate certificate program from the PSU Institute on Aging. She received a Master's degree in Transportation Studies from Seoul National University and studied in Urban Planning for Bachelor from Chung-Ang University from South Korea.

Her doctoral research focused on alternative transportation options for older adults, particularly after they stop driving. With services like Uber and Lyft becoming common, Song wanted to understand whether these new transportation options could actually work for older adults. Her research looked at this from both angles—analyzing the quantitative data about neighborhoods and transit infrastructure, and listening to real stories from older adults about their experiences and opinions about ride-hailing. Her work explored the gap between objective accessibility and perceived accessibility.

"I want to help make transportation systems more inclusive, especially for those often left out of planning decisions. Right now, a lot of transportation systems are designed assuming everyone can drive and has easy access to everything. But what about older adults who can't drive anymore? Or people who can't afford a car?" Song said.

Now that she has finished school, Song hopes to continue working on transportation equity and access.

"Through my research, I've learned that small things—like how an app is designed or how older adults are introduced to new transportation options—can make a huge difference in someone's ability to get around. I hope to keep working on projects that prioritize actual users' needs, whether that's through research, policy, or direct community work," Song said.

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. 

Nick Foster graduated from Portland State University (PSU) in 2014 with a Master's of Science in civil engineering. He is now a Principal Planner at Kittelson & Associates in Boise, ID. The photo on the left shows a project Nick worked on in Boise. On the right, Nick and his daughter are watching the PSU’s women’s basketball team play in the Big Sky basketball tournament.

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn

What do you do in your current role, and what does a typical day look like? 

There’s a wide variety of things I get to do in my current role and no two days are the same! On the technical side, I work on a lot of safety and active transportation focused plans and concept designs. Outside of technical work, I have the opportunity to build relationships with clients and colleagues, develop and execute business strategy (including hiring!), mentor staff, and engage in professional organizations and conferences. During any given day, I’ll spend a little over half my time on project work and the rest of my time connecting with colleagues, working on proposals, talking to students interested in getting into the field, and doing all the other things it takes to make a business run!

How did your experience at PSU shape your path into the transportation field?

I worked at Kittelson for six years before coming to PSU. I came to PSU looking to hone my research skills, learn from professors who were leaders in their field, and take some time to explore technical topics I was interested in outside project work. I was able to use the skills and knowledge I gained from my time at PSU to continue on in safety and active transportation research projects, as well as to help the communities I work with advance their capabilities to safely serve all modes of travel.

What advice would you give to current students or recent grads interested in a career in transportation? 

It’s an incredibly multidisciplinary field that incorporates topics ranging from psychology to pavement design and geotechnical engineering. Take opportunities to gain exposure to all the different facets of the field as you move through schooling and begin your career. Whatever path you ultimately take in transportation, this foundation will make you a better professional. And don’t ever stop learning from others!

What’s one project or accomplishment you’re especially proud of in your career so far?

Building on some of the knowledge I gained from PSU, I’ve had the opportunity to work with local agencies here in Boise to create better infrastructure for people walking, biking, and driving, including planning for and designing the first raised bike lane through downtown Boise. We tried a lot of new things out in the design, so I was excited to see that it had worked out when I took my then 8-year old on it one day and she immediately lit up as we transitioned from a painted bike lane onto it. Oh, and while I have “planner” in my title, there is one set of constructed signing and striping plans out there that has my name on it!

This is an installment in a Transportation Alumni Highlight series, showcasing Portland State University (PSU) graduates who are making a difference in the world of transportation. 

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. 

Cassie Wilson graduated from Portland State University (PSU) in 2024 with a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies. She is now the Transportation Policy Manager for 1000 Friends Of Oregon.

Connect with Cassie on LinkedIn

What do you do in your current role, and what does a typical day look like? 

I’m the Transportation Policy Manager at 1000 Friends of Oregon. I’m helping lead the Move Oregon Forward coalition to advocate for a state transportation funding package that prioritizes safety, climate, and equity. I meet with legislators, lead on coalition strategy, write sign-on letters, one-pagers, and testimony guides, and build relationships with other transportation stakeholders.

How did your experience at PSU shape your path into the transportation field?

Taking transportation classes at PSU helped me transition from volunteer transportation advocacy to a career in transportation policy by giving me the educational background to support what I was learning on the ground. I interned at 1000 Friends doing transportation policy research while I was at PSU. I also took public health equity and gerontology classes to expand my perspective on the impacts of transportation planning.

What advice would you give to current students or recent grads interested in a career in transportation? 

There are so many directions a career in transportation can go! Interning at 1000 Friends reassured me that public policy was the direction I was most interested in. I did informational interviews and networking with transportation professionals, and learned a lot through interacting with them on community advisory boards. Whether you’re interested in research, planning, policy, engineering, or program implementation - I encourage you to connect with people doing the work you’re interested in!

What’s one project or accomplishment you’re especially proud of in your career so far?

The Oregon in Motion report that 1000 Friends of Oregon published from my internship has been used by legislators, advocates, and other transportation stakeholders to get up to speed on the development and impacts of the last state transportation package. It’s been one of 1000 Friends’ most used Gerhardt intern reports and continues to be helpful to folks even halfway through the development of this year’s transportation package. It surprised me how many people read the full report – even at 60 pages in length!

This is the first installment in a new Transportation Alumni Highlight series, showcasing Portland State University (PSU) graduates who are making a difference in the world of transportation. 

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.