UTM-MN Graduate Student Showcase
The University of Toronto Mississauga Mobility Network (UTM-MN) is proud to present its 3rd Graduate Student Showcase. The showcase celebrates the achievements of the 2023-2024 Graduate Research Award and 2023 Summer Internship Award recipients and aims to inspire graduate students to engage with the UTM-MN.
Register for the event on Eventbrite.
Graduate Student Presenters
Kerstyn Lutz
Kerstyn Lutz is a Ph.D. candidate at UTM in the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, supervised by Professor Matthew Adams. Her research interests broadly focus on examining built environment exposures, as well as their impact on health and equity. Kerstyn's research for the Mobility Network aims to identify populations residing in built environments that do not support active school travel (AST), including walking and wheeling to and from school. This pivotal work will empower the strategic targeting of AST interventions to those most in need, ensuring an equitable and impactful approach to enhancing mobility.
Scarlett Rakowska
Scarlett Rakowska is a Ph.D. student supervised by Professor Matthew Adams in the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment at UTM. She completed her undergraduate and Masters degree within the department. Her research project for the Mobility Network focuses on associating health diseases with exposure (e.g., air pollution and traffic) and accessibility (e.g., park space and infrastructure) in Toronto neighbourhoods. Her research will use geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing to conduct geospatial statistical analyses. She will also create interactive public maps displaying the results to benefit residents.
Rakowska's research interests include urban health, greenness, geospatial analysis, and health diseases
Rhonda Solomon
Rhonda Solomon is a PhD candidate supervised by Professor Ron Buliung in the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment and UTM. Her research project for the Mobility Network centres on the provision of equitable transit access across diverse disability groups.
Solomon’s research interests are ableist design and public infrastructure, with a specific focus on public toilet provision for children with disabilities.
Leila Uy
Leila Uy is an M.Sc. student supervised by Professor Jue Wang in the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment at UTM. Her research project for the Mobility Network focuses on human mobility after natural disasters in the context of socioeconomic factors.
Uy's research interests include exploring the effect of climate change on human mobility, animal welfare, and civil infrastructures.
Prateek Gandotra
Prateek Gandotra, a student enrolled in the Master of Science in Sustainability Management is working with the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), a non-profit organization that works on advancing next-generation zero-carbon mobility and transportation solutions across Canada. This grant will enable Prateek to support CUTRIC’s Membership and Commercialization Program. Prateek will assist their VP and Director of Special Projects with meetings, communications, research, analysis, and support on various strategic projects.
Xingyu (Eric) Zhao
Xingyu (Eric) Zhao, a student enrolled in the Master of Urban Innovation has joined the Transportation and Works Department of the City of Mississauga. Eric will assist the Transportation Planner of the Active Transportation team with the implementation phase of the Shared Micro-mobility Program in the city. His major focus will be on developing the monitoring and evaluation framework for the upcoming program, which may lay the foundation for ongoing partnerships.
About UTM-MN funding support for graduate student research
The University of Toronto Mississauga Mobility Network (UTM-MN) announced recipients of their inaugural round of Graduate Student Research Awards in September 2023. In May 2023, an award for the inaugural Summer Internship Award (Professional Graduate Programs) was announced.
The awards are designed to support University of Toronto Mississauga graduate students in either research or professional internships that contribute to the Mobility Network mission to support interdisciplinary mobility research that addresses equity and promotes resilient, sustainable and just urban growth and prosperity.
The transportation system, and the mobility and accessibility it enables, touches almost every aspect of our urban lives. Applicants for UTM-MN Graduate Research Awards, as well as the UTM-MN Summer Internship Award (Professional Graduate Programs) had the choice to focus on any aspect of transportation through a discipline of data sciences, natural and social sciences, or humanities, using an equity, environmental, economic or other lens, alongside a Mobility Network faculty sponsor.
Winning proposals met the criteria of academic excellence, future research and professional promise, and support of Mobility Network’s mission. The total value of each award was $5,000. Projects were completed at either the University of Toronto Mississauga or in the field.
The Call for Applications was circulated to UTM students and faculty in fall 2023.