Danielle Iris-Perez Duffy is a graduate student and transportation professional, currently pursuing a Master of Regional and Urban Planning (MRP) with a focus on Transportation Planning at SUNY Albany. She currently serves as the Federal Aid Supervisor in the Local Programs Bureau at the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). In this role, she supervises a team and collaborates closely with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), regional offices, and local governments to ensure seamless coordination and compliance with federal transportation guidelines. Danielle is committed to expanding her expertise while advocating for innovative solutions that enhance mobility and accessibility across urban and rural regions. She is particularly passionate about working with local governments to ensure that transportation projects meet the unique needs of each community, all while promoting sustainability and equitable access.

Soojung is a PhD Candidate in City and Regional Planning at Cornell University, where her research focuses on transportation equity and mobility justice for marginalized populations. Her dissertation examines the commuting challenges faced by the Bronx home health aides working across New York City. Here, she employs participatory methods that center these care workers' voices, enabling them to question established transportation planning assumptions and advocate for systems that recognize care work as essential infrastructure in urban environments. She has worked closely with community organizations, labor groups and local universities to connect her work with real-world advocacy. Most recently, she has collaborated with students at Fordham University in the Bronx to create a documentary project highlighting the commutes of home health aides, which will be released upon completion. Outside of her studies, she enjoys exploring urban neighborhoods on foot, volunteering with local community groups, and caring for stray cats in her neighborhood.

Hannah Bonestroo is a PhD student in Urban Systems at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. She is advised by Dr. Joseph Chow at the Behavioral Urban Informatics, Logistics, and Transport Lab (BUILT) at the C2SMARTER Center. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Geography/Urban Studies from Macalester College in 2017 and her Master of City Planning, with a concentration in Smart Cities, from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. She also has extensive work experience in the field of transportation. Prior to pursuing her PhD, she most recently worked for the Northeast Corridor Commission as a Transportation Analyst. She is a 2024 award recipient of the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program.As a PhD student, her research focuses on micro-mobility and sustainable transportation, emphasizing the use of analytical techniques and new technologies to develop creative solutions. She has been involved in a range of projects while at the BUILT Lab, including collaborating with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) to create a traffic digital twin that improves emergency vehicle response times and developing a bike route choice model in Manhattan using NYC DOT mobility survey data. Her long-term career goal is to apply the expertise and research skills she is developing during her PhD program to real-world transportation projects within New York City that work to make the city more equitable and sustainable. In her free time, she enjoys long walks around the city, including completing the 2025 Great Saunter with friends. She also enjoys lap swimming and, this summer, completed the NYC Parks’ Adult Lap Swim 15-mile Challenge, earning a commemorative t-shirt.

Chryssanthe Kontogianis is a second-year Civil Engineering student at Manhattan University and is a part of the Honors Program. She is passionate about sustainable design and infrastructure development, with the long-term goals of improving urban transportation systems. She is involved in several professional and cultural organizations on campus. She is a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), contributing to an environment on campus in which women in engineering can feel encouraged to achieve success in engineering both academically and professionally. She is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in which she has become involved to enrich her civil engineering education outside of the classroom through various educational initiatives. She has also co-founded Manhattan University’s Hellenic Student Association and acts as its current Social Media Coordinator and Vice President, boosting club engagement and involvement among the student body. She also worked with Manhattan University’s School of Engineering Residential Summer Engineering Program for junior and senior high school students, helping to guide them through various labs and hands-on activities and introduce them to the various disciplines of engineering. Chryssanthe was invited to speak at Manhattan University’s Summer Engineering Awareness Program to inspire young high school students interested in pursuing STEM. Her hands-on experience includes participation in the ACE Mentor Program, where she collaborated with industry professionals on a mock proposal to emulate real-world engineering projects. Outside the classroom, she enjoys reading, drawing, and volunteering through her church.

Natalie Gulan is a third-year Civil Engineering student at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering, pursuing a minor in Construction Project Management.

Her most recent experience includes completing an internship as a Construction Management Intern at Suffolk Construction in New York City, where she supported daily field operations, monitored subcontractor activities, and contributed to cost tracking and quality assurance. She previously served as a Project Engineer Intern at Swinerton Builders, where she worked on a workplace modifications project, developing RFIs, submittals, and safety documentation while gaining proficiency in Procore, Bluebeam, BIM, and CMiC.

In addition to her internships, she serves as a Civil Engineering Student Ambassador for the Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program of Greater New York. In this role, she helps incoming NYU engineering students, many of whom are ACE alumni, adjust to college life and network with industry professionals. 

Leticia Fontes is a junior at Manhattan University majoring in Civil Engineering with a concentration in structural engineering. An international student from Brazil, she grew up with a strong awareness of how essential reliable transportation systems are to the quality of life within communities. These early experiences have shaped her academic and professional interests, inspiring her to pursue a career where structural engineering meets transportation systems and use her skills to contribute to projects that make communities better. Leticia had the opportunity to work as a Construction Management intern with the healthcare team at STV in the summer of 2024. This past summer, she returned to STV as a Civil Engineering intern focusing on implementing flood control systems for the MTA Westchester Yard & Maintenance Facility Project in the East side of the Bronx. Throughout this internship, she worked on drainage plans, 3D modeling and design development. Outside of the classroom, Leticia is Division I swimmer where she balances the demands of academics and athletics, developing strong leadership, resilience and time-management skills that guide her professional growth. In addition, she is Social Media Chair of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at Manhattan University where she is committed to encouraging and supporting women in the field. Through SWE, she helps organize events such as “SWE for Scouts" to inspire young girls to explore STEM fields.  When she is not studying or at the pool, Leticia enjoys travelling, shopping and spending time with people she loves.

Ashley Li is a current high school senior at Staten Island Technical High School, NY. As an aspiring structural engineer, she aims to pursue an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, with a focus on structural and materials engineering research. At just sixteen, she conducted research on designing an inflatable airlock for lunar extravehicular activity and developed a biomimetic eco-friendly superhydrophobic coating presented to the EPA. Her work landed her a place in the prestigious Research Science Institute program to work with MIT's MechE lab on SHS wettability. Ashley's long-term goals include advancing transportation infrastructure through innovative coating research and contributing to the emerging field of space architecture. Beyond engineering, Ashley is passionate about merging STEM and writing. She serves as editor-in-chief and science columnist for her school newspaper, has been published in ARRL’s QST magazine, and hopes to one day publish a book on her engineering journey to inspire others.In school, she leads as captain of the Varsity Swim Team, Student Government Executive Treasurer, and SLT Chair. Outside of school, she is a four-time mentee in the ACE Mentorship Program, collaborating with teams at AECOM, HOK, and FxCollaborative on proposed building projects. In her free time, Ashley enjoys night biking, 3D printing, and leading Explortle, her project that brings STEM kits and workshops to local communities.

Chaw Nandar is a junior Civil Engineering student at The City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering, with a minor in Business Administration. She is currently a Research Fellow with the CUNY Remote Sensing Earth System Institute (CREST), where she works on projects focused on climate resilience, rainfall analysis, and urban flood impacts. She also contributed to “Investigating Active Learning for Efficient Annotation of Traffic-Related Objects,” a project that applies artificial intelligence to transportation systems to improve roadway safety. On campus, Chaw serves as President of Tau Beta Pi (NYH Chapter), promoting leadership and service among engineering students. Before transferring to CCNY, she earned her Associate of Science in Civil Engineering from LaGuardia Community College, while also serving as a Student Success Mentor, Academic Peer Leader, and Tutor. Looking ahead, she hopes to design infrastructure that is both sustainable and resilient. In her free time, Chaw loves traveling, exploring the city, and sharing cultural experiences with friends. 

Margarida Capitia is a college freshman from Luanda, Angola, with a strong passion for healthcare and community service. She aspires to become a Neurosurgical Pediatrician and is currently on the pre-med track at La Salle University, where she is studying Psychology. Margarida has volunteered with children’s programs in her community, participated in initiatives that support women in STEM, and engaged in internships and summits that empower minority groups. Growing up in a low-income household has motivated her to pursue higher education and create opportunities for others. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, listening to podcasts, and mentoring younger students.