MCRP 2018 Graduate
Specialization: Transportation Planning
Hometown: Beijing, China
In Sen’s last year of undergraduate studies in China, he got the chance to participate in research projects and conferences on city issues like new land development, traffic flow analysis, and big data mining. After a professor witnessed Sen’s interest in transportation planning and recommended him to look at graduate programs, Sen chose to attend Carolina Planning because of the quality of the transportation specialization as well as its location on the east coast.
As an international student in particular, Sen learns a lot from trips organized by Carolina Planning. With classmates he’s been able to visit local sites, like Jordan Lake and Stagville Plantation, and larger cities, like Nashville and Charlotte. He doesn’t feel like a typical foreign tourist on these trips: he has the opportunity to see, listen, and think about planning issues alongside classmates. He also appreciates the help he’s able to get from campus resources like the Writing Center and their ESL speaking group.
When asked how Carolina Planning is preparing him for his goals, Sen responded that his time in the department has actually shaped his goals. He knows the department can provide him with all the information and opportunities he will need, but to him it’s more meaningful that his aspirations now are much more clear than they were when he first started the program.