PhD student awarded scholarship for transportation research
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PhD student Maryam Yousefibaseri has been awarded two scholarships for her research on transportation challenges in rural areas.
She was awarded the President’s Scholarship from the WTS Greater Chicago Area chapter. The WTS is a driving force in promoting, encouraging, and championing women in transportation across one of the nation’s most dynamic transportation and infrastructure centers.
She also received the 2026 Transportation & Development Institute Scholarship from the Illinois Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The ASCE advances the industry by creating technical codes and standards, offering professional development, publishing engineering content, and advocating for infrastructure development.
Yousefibaseri’s research includes studying service delivery gaps and the effects of service quality on patient well-being, particularly considering the time-sensitive nature of medical trips and the health conditions of those traveling, with the goal of improving access to healthcare in rural communities.
“Service delivery in rural areas differs greatly from the fixed-route systems commonly found in cities,” she said. “I specifically study barriers to healthcare access in these areas, where longer travel distances to medical services, shaped by land use patterns, can act as both physical and psychological obstacles that discourage patients from seeking care.
“Beyond the patient’s perspective, I explore issues from the viewpoints of stakeholders involved in providing non-emergency medical transportation.”
Working under the direction of Professor Jane Lin in the SusTrans Lab, Yousefibaseri has shown how seemingly small disruptions in service delivery can create cascading effects across the non-emergency medical transportation system, reinforcing the idea that these challenges are not merely logistical but deeply systemic.
“My work in this area is further reflected in my appointment to the Transportation Research Board Standing Committee on Transportation in Rural Areas, which focuses on the unique transportation challenges and needs of rural communities, including public and specialized transportation services,” she said.
She attributes her success in part to Lin, who encourages creativity, builds confidence, provides professional research guidance, offers continuous feedback, introduces her to academic networks, and writes recommendation letters.
“I have been particularly impressed with Maryam’s total commitment to and genuine passion for the research topic,” Lin said. “She is like a sponge, hungrily absorbing new knowledge and learning new techniques for her research. Her curiosity and dedication drive her high productivity, strong desire for excellence, and willingness to take on challenging tasks.”