The Institute of Transportation Studies is proud to spotlight Ryan Shaffie for his contributions to the 2026 Pre-College Research Immersion Program (PRIME). Ryan is a student at Dana Hills High School with interests in public transportation, accessibility, and the ways transportation systems connect people to their communities. His experiences using public transit and his interest in psychology have inspired him to explore how transportation and the environment influence human behavior and quality of life.
“I enjoy the cultural fluidity of subway systems, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed throughout my childhood with Toronto’s TTC. I also appreciate that all means of public transportation, like buses, allow for people that are unfamiliar with their environment to access an affordable method to fully take advantage of their surroundings.”
TRIP provides students like Ryan with the opportunity to examine transportation systems through a research lens while gaining valuable analytical skills. His interest in psychology has led him to think deeply about the motivations behind human behavior and how people interact with their environments. Through transportation research, he hopes to better understand the connections between mobility, communities, and human decision-making.
“The research process beckons the researcher to understand the perspective of the subject they are researching. Gaining sound evidence allows the researcher to gain a deeper understanding for the cause or purpose of their topic.”
As part of this project, Ryan hopes to strengthen his research abilities and learn how to effectively collect and analyze data. He is excited to gain hands-on experience with the research process and develop skills that will support future academic and professional pursuits.
“I hope to learn how to effectively research by actively participating in the research process by gathering data to formulate an outcome based solely on the findings of the study. I want to develop these skills to improve the quality of the projects I will tackle in the future.”
Author Reina Kabbara is a recent graduate of Public Health Policy at UC Irvine. She has conducted transportation and environmental research under the Institute of Transportation Studies and through Professor Jun Wu’s E3: “Exposure, Epidemiology, and Equity” Environmental Health Lab.
Each summer, the ITS-Irvine Transportation Research Immersion Program (TRIP) and the Pre-college Research Immersion Program pair undergraduate and high school student researchers with faculty to contribute meaningfully to ongoing transportation research projects. To learn more about these programs, contact ITS-Irvine Assistant Director for Programs and Engagement Dr. Victoria Deguzman at vvdeguzm@uci.edu.