CEE 195 Infrastructure Equity in Civil & Environmental Engineering
Course Description. Infrastructure equity examines the intersection of social justice and the built and natural environments to address disparities in access to essential services, facilities, and amenities by prioritizing investments in historically marginalized and underserved communities. Through readings, discussions, guest lectures, and experiential learning activities, this course will introduce students to the theory of infrastructure equity, methods of equity analysis, community- based decision-making processes, and emerging needs in research and design. We will analyze real-world case studies in Southern California and beyond that cover a broad range of civil and environmental infrastructure projects, including transportation, housing, water systems, and energy services, as well as the historic and ongoing practice of siting undesirable infrastructure (e.g., landfills, waste facilities, and warehousing) in what are referred to as “sacrifice zones”. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and critical perspectives necessary to contribute to improving infrastructure equity as civil and environmental engineers and collaborators. This course is designed to develop students’ awareness and interdisciplinary analysis of the history of infrastructure inequities in low-income communities of color in California, their ability to recognize and critically analyze structural forms of power and intersecting systems of oppression, and their understanding of how historically marginalized groups have challenged institutions of domination.
Course Prerequisites. None. This course is designed for undergraduates at all levels. Graduate students looking for an introduction to equity concepts are encouraged to enroll.
Offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2024 (195/298), Spring 2026
CEE 195/298 Mixed Methods for Participatory Research
Course Description. This course focuses on methods of data collection and analysis used to understand human behavior through a Community-based Participatory Action Research framework. Students will explore numerous participatory research methodologies (such as co-design workshops, focus groups, community mapping, and scenario planning), mixed method approaches for analyzing quantitative and qualitative data (such as factor analysis, structural equation modeling, hybrid choice modeling, and content analysis), and how these intersect with principles of equity and justice and ethical considerations. This course focuses on the quantitative and qualitative description, evaluation, and assessment of phenomena occurring in human social systems through community-based data collection, analysis, and interpretation. It is designed to develop students’ ability to critically evaluate methods and theories of individual-to-collective human behavior and social structures. This course is well-suited for students in transportation engineering, urban studies, public health, and related fields.
Course Prerequisites. Students should be comfortable using R Studio and statistical analysis. This course is designed for graduate students and upper-level undergraduates interested in research.
Offered: TBD
CEE 199/299 Independent Study
Offered: Per request
CEE 220A Travel Demand Analysis I: Classical Approaches
Course Description. This course will introduce students to the practice of travel demand analysis for transportation systems planning, design, and operations. The course will cover: (1) fundamentals of transportation economics (including supply, demand, performance, cost, and evaluation procedures), (2) differences between travel and conventional economic arguments, (3) an introduction to the four-step model and activity-based models, and (4) an introduction to discrete choice models.
Course Prerequisites. Graduate standing or instructor’s permission. Students should be comfortable with calculus, basic programming languages, and statistical analysis.
Offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2025
CEE 220B Travel Demand Analysis II: Discrete Choice Modeling
Course Description. In light of rapid advancements in mobility technologies, including electric vehicles, connected and automated vehicles, high-speed rail, drones, flying taxis, space tourism, and mobility-as-a-service, it is imperative that transportation engineers and planners understand how travelers make choices between different options, as well as the influence of policies, pricing schemes, and socioeconomic factors on decision-making in order to design equitable transportation systems that meet the needs of travelers. Discrete choice modeling is an analytical methodology used by engineers, planners, economists, and psychologists to identify factors that influence behavioral decision-making. In this course, students will be trained in model formulation, estimation, and applications to better understand and predict travel behavior. Through lectures, group discussions, in-class coding sessions, and an individual term project, students will learn, analyze, and critique the theories and principles of travel demand analysis.
Course Prerequisites. Graduate standing and CEE220A or instructor’s permission. Students should be comfortable using Python and R.
Syllabus:
Offered: Winter 2024, Winter 2025, Winter 2026
UNISTU 3 Mobility Justice
Course Description. When we transverse a cityscape designed to meet our needs, we can travel from Point A to B without much thought, but what happens when a city is not designed for us or actively designed against us? This discussion-based freshman seminar will engage students through challenging questions about historic and present-day barriers to travel and how those barriers can be rooted in systemic injustices. We will read and reflect on research examining transportation inequities across California to challenge the status quo and take a solution-oriented approach to furthering mobility justice. The goal of this course is to prepare students to think critically and engage in discourse on challenging topics of historic and present-day urban inequities in a supportive atmosphere. Readings and discussions will highlight ongoing equity research in transportation and encouraging new opportunities for future work. This course is designed to expand students’ understanding of the work that transportation engineers do, emphasizing human factors, community engagement, and the transdisciplinary need for all-hands-on-deck. Through this seminar, I hope to inspire students to take more courses in civil and transportation engineering.
Course Prerequisites. Undergraduate standing.
Offered: Spring 2024