MACON — Mercer University junior Claudio Boero has been selected by the Women in Transportation (WTS) as the winner of the Sharon D. Banks Memorial Scholarship Award. The $5,000 scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated an interest in transportation engineering through their major or research.
Boero, from Alpharetta, is a biomedical engineering major with minors in chemistry and biology. Through her major and research, she said she works to addresses the medical aspects of transportation engineering by focusing on people with disabilities.
“I am able to analyze medical issues or barriers that can be heightened due to infrastructure and roadway development,” she said.
Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Dr. Eazaz Sadeghvaziri mentors Boero and said she discovered how transportation and environmental design impact health outcomes, particularly for underserved communities.
“Claudia’s interdisciplinary approach — bridging transportation and health care — demonstrates her unique vision and dedication to improving lives,” Dr. Sadeghvaziri said. “Her contributions highlight her commitment to understanding and addressing complex challenges affecting diverse populations.”
Boero has contributed to research in disability-inclusive transportation, presenting her findings at the Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity. Her paper titled “Analyzing Mobility Challenges for Individuals with Disabilities in the U.S.,” was accepted for presentation at the Transportation Research Board 2025 Annual Meeting and published in the Transportation Research Record.
“This award signifies that all my hard work and dedication has paid off, and I am immensely grateful for all the support from my professors,” said Boero. “I’m excited to see what opportunities this scholarship could open for me in the future.”
At Mercer, Boero has been involved in the Honors Engineering program and participated in Go Baby Go events and ankle brace research with Dr. Ha Van Vo, Eminent Scholar and Distinguished University Professor and professor of biomedical engineering. Boero is also president of Mercer’s Biomedical Engineering Society, vice president of the Women in Math and Science academic club and a member of national honor society Phi Eta Sigma.
“This prestigious honor highlights Claudia’s dedication to the field of transportation and her potential to drive positive change within the industry,” said Dr. Laura W. Lackey, dean of the School of Engineering. “We are immensely proud of her accomplishments and excited to see the impact she will undoubtedly make as a future leader in engineering.”
After graduation, Boeri plans to pursue her master’s in biomedical engineering and then an M.D./Ph.D. program.
About Women in Transportation
WTS fosters the development of women in the transportation field by encouraging bright new professionals to undertake careers in the area of transportation. One way it does this is by awarding the WTS Sharon D. Banks Memorial Scholarship to women pursuing undergraduate studies in transportation or a related field. The scholarship honors Sharon D. Banks, chief executive officer of AC Transit in Alameda-Contra Costa County, California. As its CEO throughout most of the 1990s, Banks led the agency in a pioneering effort to introduce cultural and organizational changes aimed at motivating the public transit workforce. She was a member of the WTS Advisory Board and received the WTS San Francisco Chapter Woman of the Year and Employer of the Year awards.
