METRANS Associate Director Victoria Deguzman received the 2018 Margaret Harrington Outstanding Staff Award. Deguzman has been recognized for 17 years of work with the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. Over the years, she has advocated for students’ personal and professional development while fostering her own growing interest in the transportation industry.

Deguzman is an advocate for gender equality within the transportation workforce. Through her role as a special advisor to the President of Regional Outreach Lead at the Women’s Transportation Seminar International (WTS), she has supported women’s advancement in the industry. Furthermore, she recently received her Doctoral degree in policy, planning, and development from the Price School.

“She has benefitted the Price School in many ways,” said Jim Moore, USC Price School and Viterbi School professor. “She has pioneered numerous student enrichment programs while at the Price School. These programs have impacted hundreds if not thousands of students and her efforts resulted in the only academic center campus-wide with such programming.”

Throughout her time at METRANS, Deguzman has introduced professional development programs, introducing mentorship programs like the “Practitioner Speaker” and “Get the Job” series. These seminars and programs have helped students meet with professionals and network with industry experts to follow up on internship and job opportunities.

“We have so many professionals asking for our students that we’ve become a job-placement resource as well,” Deguzman said. “Based on employer feedback, we have established a great deal of credibility. Now, they reach out to us when they have positions to fill, and we only send students that we’re very comfortable will be both an asset to the employer and a good representative of the center.”

“I believe she is an excellent ambassador for Price and USC through the work she does with all the Price students who walk through the door of METRANS,” said Deirdre Flanagan, USC Price School Communications Coordinator. “The support she lends to the students is not limited to the one or two that technically work for METRANS, but for the large number of students she encounters throughout each year.”

The Margaret Harrington Outstanding Staff Award was originally established 20 years ago as the Outstanding Annual Performance Award by the Morris S. Smith Foundation, to traditionally honor outstanding faculty-and-staff achievements. Ever since then, the foundation has continued to honor Price School members for their accomplishments and contributions.