People

Dr. Alex Bigazzi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and an Associate Member of the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on non-motorized and lightly-motorized travel – in particular, the intersection of physics, physiology, and behaviour for active travellers. He also studies transportation emissions, including the uptake of traffic-related air pollution by active travellers. Alex received a Bachelor of Music in jazz saxophone from the University of Miami in 2001. Following that he was a musician and vagabond, eventually returning to the academy and receiving a doctorate in Civil Engineering from Portland State University in 2014. He is thrilled and deeply appreciative to be living and working in this beautiful corner of the world, on Coast Salish lands, with passionate and creative students and colleagues. 

Diana is an international student who joined the Civil Engineering M.A.Sc. program to pursue a specialization in Transport Engineering. She joined REACT Lab in September 2022 as a Research Assistant. Her background involves a Licentiate Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Costa Rica, as well as research and teaching activities in that institution. Her research interests lie in sustainable urban transportation, spatial data analysis, and bike route choice models. As an enthusiastic active commuter, Diana aspires to play a role in understanding active mobility and transportation systems, to promote more livable cities and quality life for diverse communities.

Pegah Ghane, currently pursuing a Master’s in Civil Engineering at UBC, started her academic journey with a solid foundation in planning. She initially earned a master’s in urban design from the University of Tehran. In 2023, she embarked on a new phase, commencing her studies in MASc Civil Engineering with a focus on transportation at UBC. Driven by a passion for innovative solutions, Pegah aims to expand her expertise in transportation engineering methods. With a particular interest in active transportation, she looks forward to combining her urban planning knowledge with new experiences to contribute to the development of safe and equitable urban transportation.

Kyla is an undergraduate student studying Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Born and raised in Vancouver, Kyla’s earliest memories involve weekend trips on the Skytrain, which have since instilled in her a passion for all things transportation. Today, she is driven by a desire to understand how equity, quality of life, and access to opportunity can be improved through transportation-based solutions. Kyla looks forward to investigating how infrastructure and policy can facilitate active transportation in cities across North America.