The UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) welcomed its newest staff member, Adonia Lugo, as their inaugural equity research manager. Lugo is an anthropologist who developed a dissertation project about sustainable transportation when she studied at UC Irvine. Lugo helped launch the organization today known as People for Mobility Justice, and was also one of the founding organizers for The Untokening — a multiracial collective that centers the lived experiences of marginalized communities to address mobility justice and equity.
“One part of my job is participating in UCLA projects and getting new projects started that focus on transportation equity,” said Lugo, “and I will be collaborating both with researchers whose previous work hasn’t included much equity and with people who focus on equity on how to further support their work.”
Lugo is developing an overall strategy for the statewide initiative to ensure that equity is incorporated into the work that is happening. She is looking forward to reconvening an equity advisory group that had been created across the four ITS campuses, and potentially creating an external advisory council through her new role. Her goals include collaborating with local organizations and using UCLA’s research capacity to support the development of transportation and mobility projects in our community.
Read more about Adonia Lugo’s role and contributions at UCLA ITS.
Image Source: UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies
