2016 Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship for Sustainable Transport and Energy Efficiency awarded to Akshima Ghate and Fiamma Perez
The Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship for Sustainable Transport and Energy Efficiency is awarded annually to up to two extraordinary candidates to honor the legacy of Dr. Leon J. Schipper, pictured above, co-founder of EMBARQ. Photo by EMBARQ.
EMBARQ, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities’ sustainable urban mobility initiative, and the Lee Schipper family are pleased to announce Akshima Ghate and Fiamma Perez have been selected to receive the fifth annual 2016 Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship.
Established in 2012, the Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship celebrates EMBARQ founder Dr. Lee Schipper’s vision and contributions to sustainable transport and energy. Last year’s recipient – Gwen Kash – explored the safety issues facing passengers on Bogotá’s BRT system, Transmilenio.
The 2016 scholarship received a total of 68 applications from 28 countries. After careful review from an evaluation committee, 10 finalists were selected to submit in-depth proposals and timelines. From the finalists, the evaluation committee selected two recipients who were then approved by the Scholarship Board, composed of Sam Zimmerman from the World Bank, Mans Lonnroth from the Volvo Foundation, Nancy Kete from the Rockefeller Foundation, Mr. S. Sundar from the Energy and Resources Institute, Judith Pollock from the Shell Foundation, Holger Dalkmann from EMBARQ, and Ramon Munoz-Raskin on behalf of the Schipper family.
Ghate’s research will study the changes in women’s transport
Generally, women are more likely to use more sustainable and low-carbon mobility options than men. Ghate will be studying how the changing role of women in society in Delhi will impact their transport choices.
Ghate’s research will seek to understand if employment among women will drive increase private vehicle use and ownership. In addition, she will see how a shift in women’s transport choices will impact low-carbon mobility goals, and whether there are policy options that can encourage women to continue to choose low-carbon options.
Perez will challenge the impact of Green-Navigation Systems
Green-Navigation (GN) systems, an ICT-based measure, is seen as having great potential for tackling climate change by recommending transport routes based on environmental impact and real-time traffic data. As a result, users will minimize their fuel consumption, reducing CO2 emissions in cities.
However, GN systems do not reduce air pollution in cities. Perez will focus her research on the evaluation of the environmental and traffic performance impacts of these systems.
The Lee Schipper legacy
Lee Schipper dedicated his professional life to the efficient use of energy in mobility. The forward-thinking challenges to conventional wisdom he contributed to the field of energy efficiency were priceless. This scholarship not only celebrates his unique vision, but also helps propel those who are carrying on his work. By supporting individuals who are continuing Lee’s work to enrich international policy dialogue in the fields of sustainable transport and energy efficiency, we can ensure that the effort toward creating a more sustainable future keeps, and gains, momentum.
About the Scholarship
The scholarship awards two extraordinary candidates up to USD $10,000 each to advance transformative research in efficient and sustainable transport. Winning proposals will advance the field through iconoclastic contributions to data collection, problem diagnosis through data evaluation, policy analysis stemming through this evaluation and a comparative analysis across disciplines and international boundaries. The scholarship is international in nature, and is open to researchers and students of all national origins and fields.
About Dr. Lee Schipper
Dr. Lee Schipper was an international physicist, researcher and musician who co-founded EMBARQ in 2002. Under his direction, EMBARQ expanded into Mexico, China, India, and beyond as he pushed to incorporate data driven solutions to meet transport challenges. Dr. Schipper passed away in 2011. His influence reached across the globe as he participated in panels, studies, acted as an advisor and consultant, and served on the board of several institutions. He inspired and shaped the thinking of a generation of students and professionals, and was widely recognized for challenging conventional wisdoms within the field of sustainable transport. In addition to his work, Dr. Schipper was known for his energy, charm, endless curiosity and interests ranging from history to art to music.
For more information about Dr. Schipper and how to donate to the Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship, please visit leeschipper.embarq.org.
The scholarship was created by the Schipper Family and EMBARQ, sustainable urban mobility by WRI, with cooperation from leading scholars and policy makers, and is made possible by donations from individual donors as well as an instrumental grant from the Shell Foundation.
