The Institute of Transportation Studies is proud to spotlight Annie Lai for her contributions to the 2026 Transportation Research Immersion Program (TRIP). Annie is an Urban Studies major in the School of Social Ecology at UC Irvine with interests in active transportation, walkability, and sustainable mobility networks. Her experiences growing up in Taiwan and later moving to Southern California inspired her interest in understanding how transportation systems and urban environments shape daily life, health, and access to opportunities.
“I chose Urban Studies as my major because I became interested in how transportation systems and the built environment shape people’s daily lives, health, and access to opportunities. Growing up in Taiwan and later moving to Southern California made me notice how different urban environments influence travel behavior and quality of life.”
TRIP provides students like Annie with the opportunity to explore how transportation and urban planning can contribute to healthier, more connected communities. She is particularly interested in examining the relationship between transportation systems, the built environment, and the experiences of people across different communities. She hopes to better understand how cities can become more sustainable, equitable, and human-centered.
“I am especially interested in how transportation systems and the built environment influence travel behavior and create different experiences across communities.”
As part of this project, Annie hopes to investigate how pocket parks and green spaces in Santa Ana connect to larger green corridors and active transportation networks. She is interested in identifying opportunities to strengthen these connections while gaining experience using GIS and spatial analysis to address real-world planning challenges.
“I am interested in identifying where gaps or mismatches exist between the city’s planning goals and current conditions, and thinking about what kinds of planning or design interventions could strengthen these green corridor connections.”
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.