In early January, the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) awarded UMass student, Tolu Oke, the prestigious Student of the Year Award. Tolu, along with 29 other students from universities across the country, was honored at the 34th Annual Outstanding Student of the Year Awards in Washington, D.C. Each year, the council recognizes the most outstanding students from each University Transportation Center (UTC) for their achievements and contributions to the future of transportation.
Tolu is pursuing a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at UMass with an expected graduation year of 2026. Her research primarily focuses on pedestrian safety around transit bus stops.
Her research is structured in three stages. The first stage involves collecting quantitative data on historical crashes and identifying contributing factors around bus stops. In the second stage, pedestrians will be surveyed about their perception of safety near bus stops. The third stage involves field data collection to observe pedestrian behaviors around transit. The goal is to analyze this data in relation to environmental and design factors, identify crash risk factors, and develop effective countermeasures or policies to improve pedestrian safety.
After completing her Ph.D., Tolu plans to continue her career as an independent consultant, educator, and researcher. She is one of this year’s honorees, representing the next generation of transportation leaders with great promise.