It is an exciting time at METRANS; three of our transportation PhDs have started a new journey in their lives: parenthood! Sanggyun Kang, Quan (Jack) Yuan, and Yong-Jin Ahn shared with us their stories as fathers and about their upcoming journey filled with hope and endless possibilities.

Sanggyun Kang completed his PhD in Urban Planning and Development in June and will continue his postdoctoral studies over the next two years with METRANS Director Professor Genevieve Giuliano. His son Ethan was welcomed to the world in April this year, just as Sanggyun was making intensive preparations for defending his dissertation and graduation.

Regarding life as a new father, Kang says that the arrival of Ethan has entirely changed his life. “I’ve been waiting for the coming of the baby physically and mentally for a long time, because this is the 10th anniversary of my marriage. After Ethan was born, I am realizing, day by day, the boundless capability of a mother, and conversely the incompetency of myself as a father. However, repetition makes perfection. I hope I can be a better father after making more efforts.” He finds John Legend’s words about being a father to explain his feelings best, “I completely love my children not because they have earned anything, but because they exist.”

Quan (Jack) Yuan is a fifth doctoral student, working toward a PhD in Urban Planning and Development. He welcomed his son Evian in October 2016 with his wife Qianyao Duan, who earned her Master of Planning from USC Price. Talking about work-life balance, Yuan appreciated his advisor Professor Giuliano’s support. “Professor Giuliano has been so supportive and she has offered me great advice on taking care of my first baby. To me, she is not only an academic mentor, but also a warmhearted grandma.”

Yong-Jin Anh completed his PhD degree in Urban Planning and Development from USC’s Price School of Public Policy in 2013 and is currently an Assistant Professor at Daegu University, Korea. He welcomed his second baby Sejoon Anh in April this year. He shared that his first baby, Shaine, is very happy to have a sibling, and, like Yuan, recognizes all the advice and guidance from Professor Giuliano, not only academically, but also in taking care of children and balancing work with family.

METRANS Director Professor Giuliano, not only a leading researcher in transportation studies, but also an expert in baby care, expressed her best wishes to these new parents. “Congratulations to all our new parents! Welcome to a life of joy, wonder, worry, sleep deprivation, surprise, and happiness!”

About the Author

Rui Zhang is a second-year Master of Planning student at USC Price School specializing in transportation. She is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of the METRANS student newsletter, METRANS on the Move, an intern at Foothill Transit, and a METRANS Research Assistant working on the Caltrans-funded project, “Managing the Impacts of Freight in California.” She plans to pursue a career as a transit planner. She can be reached at [email protected].