Haimanti Bala Receives Bridgette Beato Leadership Legacy Scholarship from WTS-CT

Graphic announcing Ph.D. student Haimanti Bala’s receipt of the Bridgette Beato Leadership Legacy Scholarship. The image includes a photo of Haimanti smiling in glasses and a beige sweater, alongside text explaining that the scholarship recognizes graduate students with leadership potential and innovation in transportation, highlighting her research on autonomous mobility and smart city solutions.

We are thrilled to announce that Haimanti Bala, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut, has been awarded the Bridgette Beato Leadership Legacy Scholarship by the Connecticut Chapter of WTS (Women’s Transportation Seminar).

This scholarship recognizes outstanding graduate students pursuing careers in transportation or related fields who have demonstrated exceptional leadership potential and a commitment to innovation in the transportation sector.

Haimanti’s research focuses on autonomous on-demand transportation services, an area with increasing relevance as cities seek smart mobility solutions. Using simulation tools, she models traffic scenarios to assess the impact of autonomous vehicles and optimize passenger services, such as reducing wait times. Her current work is grounded in a strong background in transportation engineering and modeling, including industry experience on projects like “Rampura-Amulia-Demra Elevated Expressway” and “Dhaka-Chittagong Access Controlled Highway.”

Image of a transportation services diagram showing different types of shared autonomous mobility services. It includes pathways for self-ridden and group-ridden options like carsharing, ridesplitting, and public transit, with visual icons illustrating how people travel from origin to destination through various modes such as taxis, carpools, buses, and transit hubs.

Types of Shared Autonomous Mobility Services (SAMS)

The Bridgette Beato Leadership Legacy Scholarship is part of WTS International’s broader effort to advance women in transportation. Since its founding in 2007, the program has supported the development of future leaders who will shape the systems that move people and goods, drive economic development, and support communities worldwide. 

To learn more about the WTS-CT scholarship program and its mission to support women in transportation, visit the WTS-CT scholarship page. 

Click here to view her most recent publication.