About me:

I was born and raised in Delhi, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, and later worked on transport policy at a think tank for three years. I moved to UC Davis in 2017 to pursue graduate studies in transportation. The past four years have been very intellectually satisfying and I have also enjoyed the slower-paced life in Davis—a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of New Delhi! My time at UC Davis has given me an opportunity to experience a different lifestyle and diverse travel options, which was inspirational to my research. Outside of my work, I find joy in morning running and swimming sessions. In the evenings, I like to stroll through the arboretum, downtown Davis, or the beautiful UC Davis campus. 

My research interests:

My PhD research has concentrated on changing mobility in the U.S. and other countries in response to emerging transportation technologies. In the last year, I have also focused on the change in the transportation sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My dissertation encompasses cities in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, India, China and Germany. During my time at UC Davis, I also had the fantastic opportunity to work with international organizations like the World Bank and the International Transport Forum, where I was able to apply my knowledge and skills to better understand the changing mobility in South East Asian countries. 

Future research plans:

Although I began my PhD with an eye towards a career in policy, over the past few years I have developed a newfound enthusiasm for academia. As of April 2021, I have published three papers in respected peer-review journals, listed below. Developing my skills in survey design and econometric analysis to understand society’s changing mobility patterns has been very rewarding. After finishing my PhD, I wish to further cultivate these skills by exploring the changes in transportation brought about by ever-evolving technologies. 

Papers:

• A deeper investigation into the effect of the built environment on the use of ridehailing for non-work travel by J Malik, D Bunch, S Handy and G Circella (link) 
• Exploring the Factors that Affect the Frequency of Use of Ridehailing and the Adoption of Shared Ridehailing in California by J Malik, F Alemi and G Circella (link)
• Impact of vehicle automation and electric propulsion on production costs for mobility services worldwide by H Beckera et al. (link)