Grad student impacting the transportation industry in bold ways

Alyssa Nishikawa’s graduate research is focused on developing a feasible business model for expanding the electric vehicle market to lower income populations. Last year, she worked with researchers, including Dr. Aly Tawfik, director of the Fresno State Transportation Institute and Dr. Deify Law, associate professor of mechanical engineering from the Lyles College of Engineering on the “COVID-19 Public Transportation Air Circulation and Virus Mitigation Study.”

Additionally, she served as lead researcher on two projects “quantifying the impact of the California High Speed Rail on statewide mobility using isochrones maps” and “comparisons of travel time, distance and mode in England, New Zealand and the US.”

As a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, working full-time at Mark Thomas, taking graduate courses, active in research, and all with a 4.0 GPA –Alyssa has excelled. She is a Transportation Engineer at Mark Thomas and has taken the lead on four Systemic Safety Analysis Reports (SSAR) for Kern County, Madera County, Kings County and the City of McFarland.

“Ms. Nishikawa is a reliable, honest, friendly and active individual who is always willing to help others,” Dr. Tawfik said. “She has always been an active student in class, and I have often observed her interact with and help her classmates. Her demeanor towards her colleagues and her class comments have always been constructive: respectful, insightful, and helpful. She is liked and highly respected by both her peers and professors.”

Alyssa was recently nominated as Graduate Dean’s Medalist for the Lyles College by the Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering – a familiar honor for the graduate student. In 2019, Alyssa was recognized as the Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist for the Lyles College. During her undergraduate years, she managed a career as a student athlete on the Fresno State Women’s Soccer Team, research and classes.