Mahia Anhara, Joanna Ilunga-Kapinga, Alaa Itani and Felita Ong awarded WTS scholarships
Published: December 21, 2020
University of Toronto students Mahia Anhara, Joanna Ilunga-Kapinga, Alaa Itani and Felita Ong have been awarded “Advancing Women in Transportation” scholarships by the Toronto area chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS).
An undergraduate student in civil engineering, Anhara works as an intern in the Vision Zero projects unit at the City of Toronto as a part of her Professional Experience Year, where she is helping to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by designing safer streets and intersections.
A master of science student in the planning program, Ilunga-Kapinga researches transit-oriented development, vertical housing, mixed-use buildings, and city accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Her focus is on policy development and analysis, project management, transportation and urban planning, research analysis, stakeholder engagement, community building, and strategic planning.
A second-year PhD student with the department of civil and mineral engineering specializing in public transit operations and research, Itani’s research focuses on the areas of bus-hailing, dial-a-ride, and flexible transit service.
A master’s student in the department of civil and mineral engineering, Ong focuses on investigating the demand competition between ride-hailing services and public transit to help transit agencies make evidence-based policies and planning decisions.
WTS was founded in 1977 by a group of pioneering women in transportation to support the careers of women in the field through professional development, encouragement and recognition. It is a member organization with chapters worldwide, including the WTS Toronto Area Chapter established in 2013.
