The Institute of Transportation Studies, Irvine is proud to spotlight faculty researcher Dr. Jacqueline Huynh for her contributions to the Transportation Research Immersion Program (TRIP) and her dedication to advancing the future of aviation.
Dr. Huynh began her academic career studying Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering in addition to Mechanical Engineering at UC Irvine. As an undergraduate, Dr. Huynh did not originally intend to further her studies beyond a Bachelor’s degree. After immersing herself in various design projects, however, her interest in research ignited. Following her graduation in 2014, Dr. Huynh went on to earn her Masters (2017) and PhD (2020) at MIT in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. Dr. Huynh returned to UC Irvine to expand sustainable aviation as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
“I really wanted to come back to UC Irvine… because it gave me so much and I really wanted to give back.”
Following her return to UC Irvine, Dr. Huynh has focused her research on designing the aircraft systems of tomorrow, reducing aviation’s environmental impacts in the process. By furthering technologies such as hydrogen and electrified propulsion, Dr. Huynh’s work mitigates aircraft noise and emissions negatively impacting overtly exposed communities.
“We’ve proven… there are many opportunities for us to make these sectors more sustainable. It’s up to us—the Institute—to figure out what those solutions are.”
When Dr. Huynh isn’t figuring out solutions, she’s mentoring the next generation of transportation leaders. As an ITS associate, and as a faculty advisor in the Pre-college Research Immersion and Transportation Research Immersion Programs (PRIME and TRIP), Dr. Huynh leads a team of high school and undergraduate students on community-focused research projects. This summer, Dr. Huynh and her team are developing sustainable flight operations for advanced air mobility with communities at the center. While the work Dr. Huynh and her team are conducting is complex, students of all levels have an opportunity to contribute through the TRIP and PRIME programs.
“You don’t need to be an expert to start doing real research. If you don’t know something, you can learn and figure it out. That’s part of what research is… Students go from having just taken a coding class… to simulating aircraft flying over cities and modeling flight paths.”
Dr. Huynh strongly encourages students with a future in transportation to actively question the world around them, considering the different shapes of a more sustainable future.
“My hope is a transportation system that supports global growth while minimizing negative impacts to human health.”
You can read more about Dr. Huynh’s research here.
Author Erin Boshers is a recent graduate of Urban Studies and Literary Journalism at UC Irvine, where she explored the intersection of infrastructure, social behaviors, and public policy. She has conducted transportation and housing research through roles at Caltrans, the Kennedy Commission, Jamboree Housing, and the Institute of Transportation Studies.
Each summer, the ITS-Irvine Transportation Research Immersion Program (TRIP) pairs undergraduate student researchers with faculty in paid positions to contribute meaningfully to ongoing transportation research projects, and the Pre-college Research Immersion Program pairs high school student researchers with faculty in unpaid positions to similarly contribute to these projects. To learn more about these programs, contact ITS-Irvine Assistant Director for Programs and Engagement Dr. Victoria Deguzman at vvdeguzm@uci.edu.