ITS-Irvine Alumni Spotlight: Eric Shen

What is your UCI degree? 

My UCI degrees are MSCE (Transportation) 1995 and BSCE 1993. 

Who was your advisor? 

My advisor for undergraduate studies was Professor Stephen G. Ritchie and my graduate advisor was Professor Michael McNally. 

What drew you to UCI?  What do you like best/find as strengths at UCI? 

I transferred from Pasadena City College to UCI in the fall of 1990 as a junior. Although I was also accepted by UC Davis, I decided to attend UCI to be closer to home (in Los Angeles). 

Once I arrived at UCI, I completely immersed myself in every opportunity available, including student organizations such as ASCE, ITE, Engineering Student Council, and the campus-wide Yearbook (1992-1993) as a staff photographer. 

In the early 1990s, Irvine was like a teenager - professors were encouraging, eager to experiment, and so much had not been done before.  We all had chances to try and pave our own ways.

How did you become interested in transportation?  And what interests you most right now? 

I recall being fascinated by a guest lecture (a former student of Professor Ritchie) on transportation projects, traveling, and the magnitude of impact by transportation. That lecture sparked my interests in transportation engineering. Later on, I took a course called Introduction to Social Ecology.  That class sparked my parallel interest in city planning and geography.

It’s been 30 years since I earned my BSCE. In the last 30 years, I’ve worked in public and private industry on transportation issues in addition to adjunct teaching in colleges (UCI, UCLA, USC) for a combined 23 years so far. I recently retired from 27-years of public service and established my own consulting firm while teaching transportation courses at USC. I don’t foresee myself retiring anytime soon.

What drew you to UCI/ITS-Irvine?  What do you like best/find as strengths at UCI/ITS-Irvine? 

I began working for several PhD candidates at UCI-ITS when Professor Ritchie hired me as an undergraduate research assistant. After earning BSCE myself, I received an ITS fellowship and continued my graduate studies.

Is there anyone at ITS-Irvine who has been particularly helpful, memorable, or supportive? 

I am grateful for Professor Ritchie and Professor McNally for their guidance and friendship over the last 30+ years!

Are there any programs or activities at ITS-Irvine that you particularly enjoy or find useful? 

It’s always nice to meet up with former classmates and new graduates of ITS-Irvine at the annual TRB meeting.

If you could give students one piece of advice, what would it be?  Or, what was the best piece of advice you received? 

No singular path will define who we are. Learn from others, but have the courage to chart our own trails.

What are your research interests and what types of projects are you currently working on? 

My research interests include intermodal freight and organizational leadership.

What issues in transportation keep you up at night? 

Safety, equity and security issues in transportation keep me up at night.  

Is there someone or something that has inspired you? 

Mobility should be considered as a basic human right.  We, transportation professionals, need to recognize that our work has an immediate and long-lasting impact on the movements of people and goods universally.

What are you watching right now? 

I spend time on anything related to technology, travel, and history on Tik Tok. 

What is a fun fact about you? 

As a professional photographer, I have ultra-sharp visual observation.

What is something about you that most people don’t know? 

I served two years of military service in the Chinese Taiwan army before I emigrated to the United States.  

What is your superpower?

My superpower is capturing moments through photography to become eternity for friends.