People

Email: tsbills[at]ucla.edu

Google Scholar | CV |  Research feature in ColorMePhD (page 37)

Dr. Tierra S. Bills is an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. She specializes in the measurement of transportation planning and system outcomes, and travel demand analysis, with a special emphasis on transportation equity. Dr. Bills brings a unique and innovative perspective  to the challenge of evaluating equity in transportation, aimed at impacting transportation science, practice, and quality of life for vulnerable communities. She has worked in the transportation equity domain since 2009 and her current work builds off this long track record, including her master’s research, dissertation work, study and training as a Research Scientist at IBM Research, Michigan Society Fellowship research at the University of Michigan, and previous work as an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University.

Dr. Bills has extensive training in travel demand modeling and is engaged in ongoing work on representation of transport vulnerable travelers, in household travel surveys. These travel surveys are traditionally used to estimate and validate travel demand models and this is a pathway to developing travel models capable of reflecting the needs and behaviors of disadvantaged travelers and fine-grain transportation equity outcomes. Dr. Bills also works to advance accessibility measurement for transportation project evaluation, and develops strategies for ranking alternative transportation plans using equity-based criteria. 

At UCLA, Dr. Bills directs the Transportation Equity Innovation (TrEI) Lab, and leads a team of graduate and undergraduate students in developing innovative, meaningful, and effective tools for assessing fairness in transportation infrastructure, systems, and policies.  Dr. Bills is also affiliated with the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, UCLA Bunche Center, and collaborates with students, faculty, public and industry practitioners, and researchers across engineering, policy, planning and other disciplines. Her team’s work is published in a range of journals including Transport Policy, Transportation Research Part D, Transportation,  and Transportation Research Record.

Email: daisyyy[at]ucla.edu

Daisy Mugodzeri is a second-year graduate student researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, pursuing a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Before joining UCLA, Daisy worked in the automotive/transportation industry, focusing on manufacturing and freight transportation. She holds an M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA, an M.S. degree in Project Management from the City University of Seattle, and a B.Com. degree in Economics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

E-mail: tatsrisan[at]ucla.edu

Tat holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His interests lie in transportation equity, supporting disadvantaged communities and developing areas, analyzing travel behavior, and connecting travel demand modeling with practitioners and policymakers. With unique experiences working as a civil engineer, a global logistics analyst, and a research assistant in a transportation research institute, Tat brings expertise in demand modeling, data analysis, GIS analysis, and network assessment. In his free time, Tat enjoys outdoor activities and going to baseball games.

Email: jikailong1[at]ucla.edu

Kailong Ji holds Bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering from Dalian Jiaotong University, China and Valparaiso University (2023’). He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering at UCLA and will be starting his PhD at UCLA in September 2024. His research interests include transportation equity, travel behavior analysis, and travel demand modeling.

 With the rapid development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and the proliferation of driverless ride-hailing services, Kailong is particularly interested in how these technologies impact transportation equity, especially for low-income and vulnerable populations. As a civil engineer and research assistant at a transportation research institute, Kailong has extensive experience in demand modeling, data analysis, and GIS. In his spare time, Kailong enjoys hiking and fitness.

Email: qingyangxu[at]ucla.edu

Qingyang holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Nanjing Forestry University, China. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Civil Engineering at UCLA, with an expected graduation date in 2025. Her research interests include transportation equity, travel behavior analysis, and travel demand modeling. Currently, she is working on a project analyzing and modeling the choices and preferences regarding electric vehicles among low- and moderate-income households in California. Qingyang has gained valuable experience as a research assistant at UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, where she has honed skills in demand modeling, data analysis, and GIS analysis. She is passionate about leveraging these skills to contribute to more equitable and efficient transportation systems. In her free time, Qingyang enjoys watching movies and gardening.

Email: chloeg3003[at]ucla.edu 

Chloe is a third-year undergraduate student with a major in English at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests include autistic representation in the media, animation, and Francophone African literature. With a special background in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, Chloe brings a unique perspective as a research assistant in a STEM-related study. In her free time, Chloe enjoys journaling and photography.

Email: amarimuhammad24[at]ucla.edu

Amari Muhammad is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Environmental Engineering at UCLA. She is passionate about developing equitable and sustainable infrastructure for vulnerable communities. She is currently working on investigating the impact of race as an explanatory variable in travel demand modeling and utilizing this data to advocate for more inclusive transportation designs. Amari has also gained diverse experience in an environmental engineering internship and geomicrobiology research to equip her with a wide array of technical and research skills. In her free time, Amari enjoys playing soccer and exploring sites around the city.

Dr. Oluwanifemi Tomilayo Adegbulugbe earned her Ph.D. degree in 2024 from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Wayne State University, with Dr. Bills as primary research advisor. She holds a Master of Science degree from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Florida State University with a concentration in Transportation. She also has a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from The Federal University of Technology Akure.

Oluwanifemi has a passion for Transportation Engineering and Planning. Her dedication to fostering diversity, inclusion, justice, and equity within transportation engineering and planning underscores her career path. Her expertise spans various areas including travel demand modeling, public transportation, traffic operations and safety, intelligent transportation systems, big data analysis and transportation equity. She’s contributed to research projects with support from the Florida Department of Transportation, Center for Accessibility and Safety for an Aging Population, and Ford Motor Company. 

Her PhD research aimed to help transit operators and transportation planners to equitably improve the overall transit service operations of regions, particularly for disadvantaged communities. Her overarching goal is to effect positive change through research, mentoring and advocacy to ensure an efficient, safe, and equitable transportation system for all. She is currently a Traffic Engineer at one of the leading transportation engineering firms in Texas.

Dr. Eronmonsele Esekhaigbe earned his Ph.D. in 2024 from Wayne State University, with Dr. Bills as primary research advisor. His research centered on enhancing the quality and inclusiveness of travel surveys. His expertise includes travel demand modeling, big data analytics, statistical and econometric modeling. His doctoral work investigated the performance of travel surveys in accurately representing diverse demographic groups, with the aim of developing more equitable transportation planning methodologies.

He is currently a Transportation Planning Analyst at the Kentuckiana Regional Development Agency, where he applies his expertise to assess and improve regional transportation systems. Before this role, Eronmonsele interned at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as a Transportation Systems Research and Analysis Summer Intern and gained hands-on experience as a Traffic Engineering Intern with the City of Detroit.