Jing Li, Olivia Wiper and Sara Wagner win 2021 WTS Toronto Area Chapter Scholarships

Congratulations to Jing Li and Olivia Wiper of McMaster University and Sara Wagner of the University of Toronto, who were awarded scholarships by the WTS Toronto Area Chapter.

Jing Li is a Ph.D. student at McMaster University’s Department of Civil Engineering and a researcher at McMaster’s AI-enhanced Mobility Lab. She works under the supervision of Professors Hao Yang and Saiedeh Razavi, focusing on machine learning-enhanced traffic prediction, analysis of the spatial-temporal impact of traffic incidents, and prediction of traffic incidents’ risk and severity. She has published three journal papers and holds two patents. Jing has received several awards and recognitions, including Tongji University’s Outstanding Graduate Student award. Her career goal is to be a transportation academic, leading a research team to promote safe and efficient trips based on connected and autonomous vehicles.

Olivia Wiper is a second-year Civil Engineering & Society student. She is passionate about incorporating sustainability into her work and hopes to improve transportation infrastructure in her future endeavours. She also enjoys learning languages in her free time. Olivia has studied French extensively in high school and on exchange in Geneve, Switzerland and is currently learning Mandarin on an application known as Duolingo. Some of her other hobbies include baking, and animal care. At school, she has participated in clubs such as the McMaster Solar Car Project where she helped the chassis sub team, the McMaster Engiqueers, and the Welcome Week group known as the RedSuits. She is very excited to have been awarded the 2021 WTS Toronto Area Chapter Scholarship and looks forward to meeting everyone within this wonderful community.

Sara Wagner is a Ph.D. student studying civil engineering in the freight transportation group at the University of Toronto under the co-supervision of Professor Matthew Roorda and Professor Sara Diamond of OCAD University. Her areas of particular interest are freight and complete communities. Sara is a licensed professional engineer with extensive experience in both the public and private sector, specializing in Project Development and Environment (PD&E) studies. She aspires to produce a practical, policy-driven thesis that will have a positive impact on people and places. Equity and diversity are key to her design of neighbourhoods and complete communities. Sara has served in a variety of meaningful professional roles, including as Chair of HDR’s Young Professionals Group, President of the local Tampa chapter Institute of Transportation Engineers, and an active member of the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Livable Roadways Committee. She volunteers at the Guardian Ad Litem program, where she serves as an advocate and representative in court for children in the foster system. She is also an avid runner and a mother.