news>>awards>>sciara wins overly scholarship

Gian-Claudia Sciara has won the Helene M. Overly Memorial Scholarship.The scholarship, which was established in 1981 by the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), is awarded to women pursuing graduate studies in transportation or a related field. 

Sciara is a doctoral student in City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley and holds a Master's Degree from UCLA. Currently, she is working with Martin Wachs, Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, to examine fuel price and expenditure effects on vehicle use in California. Sciara’s long-term goal is to conduct research and teach in transportation planning and policy in a university setting, she said. She is particularly interested in transportation’s role in improving urban environments, transportation finance that promotes efficient use of transportation resources and equitably distributes costs, and regional transportation decision-making, with a focus on the intersection of transportation policy and personal travel choices.

Sciara has been an active member of the Women’s Transportation Seminar since 2001. In New York City, she helped to develop and coordinate the local chapter’s Mentoring Program, which paired younger transportation professionals with senior women in the field. "I am extremely honored to receive the Helene Overly award, dedicated to a woman who gave tremendous public service to the organization," she said. Overly was the first Executive Secretary of the organization.

“Through the Mentoring Program of the Greater New York Chapter, I worked with many women who bring a similar enthusiasm and determination to WTS’ mission,” Sciara said. “These WTS women helped to inspire and energize me to pursue my goal to earn the Ph.D.”

Sciara enjoys working with beginning transportation professionals, and hopes to do so ultimately by teaching and by remaining active in professional organizations like WTS.