Case Studies
The aim of the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund MSc Bursary scheme is to support the development of transport professionals.
Find out here how receiving a Bursary enabled individuals to study for a transport related Masters degree, and the impact this had on their future career.
Ivar Morganti studied for a Transport and Planning MSc at Cardiff University.
Ivar says, “Looking ahead, this course has inspired me to drive transformation within the transport sector. The specialist knowledge gained through the MSc has helped me identify an area where I believe I can make a meaningful contribution. I am particularly interested in helping transport organisations navigate change, whether through adopting new technologies, delivering more sustainable services or improving how major programmes and policies are implemented.
I am excited to take what I have learned into the next stage of my career and hope to make the most of this investment in my development by playing a meaningful role in delivering positive and lasting change across the transport sector.”
Kim Hards studied an MSc in Transport and Planning at Cardiff University.
Kim says,“..the Rees Jeffreys bursary played a transformative role in enabling me to gain both academic and industry skills and experience. The industry visits that the MSc provided were excellent in gaining relevant industry experience and hands-on skills using transport modelling software, alongside stakeholder report writing. I gained key contacts and networks within Transport for Wales and other transport consultancies.
“..the bursary enabled me to travel to Pontypridd, where I gained practical experience using PTV Visum software and the South and West Wales Transport Model. This was enlightening for me because it allowed me to see day-to-day work of being a transport modeller and transport planner, where I see myself in my future career. As I move towards becoming a transport planner in my career, I am confident that the skills and experiences gained through my MSc, made possible by the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, will allow me to meaningfully contribute to the future of sustainable transport in the UK.
Harry Pearce studied for a Transport Planning MSc at University of Westminster starting in 2023.
Harry says that pursuing an MSc in Transport Planning at the University of Westminster as a part-time student was an enriching and rewarding process. He says, “Gaining an MSc in Transport Planning will help me alongside my career journey and enable me to learn as much as possible regarding current practice and develop critical thinking skills that I can apply and integrate to real-world contexts in my future career in transport planning.”
“Without the Rees Jeffreys Bursary Fund I would have struggled to fund the option of further study.”
Harry particularly enjoyed the creation of his dissertation on “An Investigation into Car Dependency and Modal Shift: A Case Study using TRICS Data on Five Residential Developments in East and West Sussex.”
Seren Rayment begun a Transport and City Planning MSc at University College London in 2024.
Seren refers to her MSc as, “One of the most rewarding and transformative decisions of my academic and professional journey.” Seren goes on to say, “Through a combination of theoretical modules and practical, consultancy-style group projects, I have gained a comprehensive understanding of Transport Planning and solidified my aspiration to build a career in this field. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded. For anyone considering a career in transport planning, I would highly recommend undertaking a specialised degree in the field. It is an exciting, interdisciplinary, and impactful area of work that offers both intellectual challenge and the chance to make a meaningful contribution to the future of our cities and societies.”
Jeevan Ball studied for a Transport MSc at Imperial College London starting in 2024.
Jeevan felt his dissertation was the most rewarding part of his studies, but also says, “My work as a London bus driver added an extra layer to my studies. Having driven thousands of passengers across different routes and worked on rail replacement services, I understood first-hand the pressures of timetables, depot operations, and keeping services reliable. It also reinforced that transport is ultimately about enabling the movement of goods or people to support economic or leisure activities.
Completing the MSc has been a turning point for me. It has given me confidence, technical skills, and a clearer sense of where I can contribute to the transport profession. I am deeply thankful to the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund for supporting me on this journey and I hope to carry forward its values of improving mobility and advancing transport knowledge in the years ahead. “
Jacob Hardy begun a Transport Planning and Engineering MSc at University our Southampton in 2024.
Jacob says of his MSc, “The course was great at applying learnt knowledge to real world examples which included taking part in a mock planning
hearing and conducting cost benefit analysis of a new road scheme. My studies expanded my interest and knowledge of transport planning while
allowing me to explore new themes and facets of transport such as the role of
economics and how we can better manage freight and logistics in our towns and cities.” Jacob has now started his “dream job”. Jacob says, “I am confident my MSc was crucial for getting the role and I felt I had a significant head start over other graduates where I am already using lots of key skills I developed over the past year.”
Eleanor Parton studied for a Transport Planning and Management MSc at University of Westminster over 2 years starting in 2023.
Eleanor says, “Studying this Masters has excelled my understanding of technical knowledge of the planning industry in relation to transport and the policy requirements in support of successful transport planning. This masters degree has also given me post-graduate training in statistics, transport economics and design of streetscapes, which has given me specialist knowledge within my team to share amongst colleagues as well as better understanding of requirements when critiquing and writing transport appraisals, appeal statements and working on masterplan layout designs, with the consideration of pedestrians, cyclists and the healthy streets approach at the forefront of planning.” Eleanor recommends others to “consider advancing their career with post-graduate studies for any that are looking to gain further professional development or work towards making change in an ever-growing, fast-paced sector that is defining the direction we move in as a nation.”
Stephen Fitzgerald studied for a Road Management and Engineering MSc at University of Birmingham over 2 years starting in 2023.
Stephen enjoyed developing systems thinking, analytical and communications skills. He says “This MSc has been more than an academic milestone; it’s been a toolkit for leading change, linking policy, engineering, and economics to deliver safer, more resilient roads for the communities we serve. I am immensely thankful to the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, as without their support I would not have been able to complete this course and further my learning.”
Marcus Sellars studied for a Transport Engineering MSc at Newcastle University starting in 2024.
Marcus says, “Without this scholarship, I would have struggled to make the step from my undergraduate background in Urban Planning into a career within transport. Ultimately, the Masters, alongside the internship, gave me the skills and confidence to demonstrate my capability in a real-world environment. I am delighted that, following my internship, TVCA offered me a permanent position on the Transport Team. Beginning in October, I will be based at Teesside Airport, splitting my time between digital transport projects such as autonomous vehicles, ITS, and Connected and Autonomous Mobility (CAM). I am deeply grateful to the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund for making this possible. The scholarship has provided me with the means to pursue my ambitions and to take the first steps towards a career dedicated to improving mobility, sustainability, and accessibility. I am now entering the profession with both passion and purpose, eager to contribute to the future of transport in the UK.”
Kai Chappell began a 2-year part-time MSc in Transport and City Planning at University College London in 2022.
Kai says the “combination of academic and cultural growth has allowed me to be considerate of how we deliver transport planning in the UK. I am privileged to be working at Transport for London. Without the masters, I believe I would have lacked the skills to secure my job, and definitely would not be able to bring the diversity of knowledge that my peers were able to share with me. In my day job, I consider how to best appraise projects, something I studied on my masters, whilst also presenting how we can improve our network based on what is done outside of London.”
Zahra Ali studied Transport Planning and Management MSc at University of Westminster over 2 years starting in 2022.
Zahra tells us, “I studied part-time alongside my job at the London Borough of Hounslow and have enjoyed applying and sharing my experiences from work to university and vice versa. As a practitioner, I had the benefit of learning from academic research and best practice on sustainable travel (e.g. behaviour change techniques, principles of transport economics) and being able to put much of it into practice in my role as a transport planner. Whether prospective students are completely new to transport or established in the field, I believe there is much to learn and take from the experience of postgraduate study. I used the dissertation module as an opportunity to learn about a new area of transport planning which to date has traditionally focused on weekday patterns of demand (e.g. commuting to work and school). Instead, I explored spectator travel and the merits of investigating and reducing the carbon impact of football fans who support their teams at home and away venues.” Zahra has since successfully competed for the role of Emerging Career Adviser to the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund Trustee board.
Douglas Gilmour, Global Business Development Manager at TomTom, studied for an M.A. in Transport Economics at the University of Leeds Institute for Transport Studies in 2005.
Douglas says, “Having a dedicated year to study a transport-related masters was instrumental in advancing my career. With post-graduate training and an advanced understanding of transport economics and modelling, I was able to shift from a career in project-dependent consulting to pathways in policy-making and practice. It gave me confidence, credibility and knowledge, enabling me to take up a role in support transport modelling and appraisal, and later, data, which is essential to both.
I’d recommend post-graduate studies in transport to anyone who feels trapped in their job or a career path they are unsure about. I’d also recommend it to those who love transport but want to understand more and influence more effectively. It’s a big step to leave a job for a year but it’s totally worth it. Rees Jeffreys funding made that step a lot easier for me and others.”
Olivia Hammond was awarded a bursary in 2022 to study for an MSc in Transport and Planning at Cardiff University.
Olivia says, “With the support of the Rees Jeffreys Road fund, it made it possible to start my transport planning journey by undertaking a masters in Transport and Planning at Cardiff University. This course highlighted to me the pivotal role that transport systems play within towns and cities, giving me the opportunity to gain an expansive insight into the dynamic and intricate world of transport and mobility. Whilst studying I found a particular interest in sustainable transport, and the importance of integrating sustainable concepts into future transport planning and policy.
Olivia goes on to say, “Receiving the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund bursary and undertaking my Transport and Planning Masters has enabled me to realise my desire to contribute towards shaping the future of mobility in a sustainable, fair and innovative way, and is the start of what I hope to be a meaningful and exciting career within the transport planning industry.”
Ben Jones also studied for his MSc in Transport and Planning at Cardiff University in 2021/2022. He says, “After building up 15 years of work experience in the highways and transportation industry, the best career advice I have ever been given is that you’re never too late to go back to University and gain the relevant academic qualifications.”
Ben goes on to say, “Receiving this bursary has allowed me to study to the best of my ability, support networking and professional development, helped to alleviate stress and to address some of the additional challenges that I face with my disability”. Ben is now a Senior Transport Planner at Callidus Transport and Engineering, running the Cardiff office.
Dr Antoneta Horbury was awarded a bursary in 1992 to study for an MSc in Transport run jointly by UCL and Imperial College London. Antoneta tells us, “I was unsure what to do after University and the MSc in Transport looked interesting so I thought I would give it a go and have been hooked on transport ever since. I stayed on at UCL and completed a PhD on “Automatic vehicle location technology: Applications for buses” in 1997. Since then I have been a post doc at UCL looking at railway safety cases, a service planner at London Underground, a research analyst and principal transport planner at London Councils, a rail policy analyst at the ORR and the Transport Policy manager at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. I am now the Director of Policy and Technical Affairs at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and have the Bus Centre of Excellence within my team. I have enjoyed my career in transport enormously and I am very grateful to the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund for making it all possible.”
Dr Neil Hoose was awarded a bursary in 1984 to study for an MSc in Transport run jointly by UCL and Imperial College London.
Neil says, “I decided I needed to give my career a more distinct direction and transport and traffic engineering had been really enjoyable options during my undergraduate course.”
Neil stayed on at UCL to undertake research and was awarded a Ph.D in 1989. “My research into the use of computer vision for traffic engineering led me into the wider field of the use of technology in transport and traffic management, now commonly referred to as Intelligent Transport Systems. My career has been very varied and interesting including leading a company manufacturing and installing traffic monitoring and control equipment. I have been able to provide advice to all levels of government from local to the European Union and to clients around the world.”
“The support of the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund was instrumental in giving me the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills in transport and research that have underpinned a career of over 35 years in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems.”
Georgia Turner, who received a bursary in 2021 to study for an MSc in Road Management and Engineering at the University of Birmingham part-time over 2 years, said, “This qualification gives me the pride and certainty to say I am an engineer. In my first year I started gaining confidence thus applied for a senior engineer position within my workplace, in a different area of highways. The move from planned maintenance into project engineering, specialising in designing and implementing SuDS was inspired by the new design and decision-making skills I was taught in my studies.” Georgia went on to say, “I have sincerest gratitude to Rees Jeffreys Road Fund for facilitating my MSc which is set to propel my career.” Georgia is pictured with a recent highways construction project she completed.
Amy Albright received a Rees Jeffreys Road Fund MSc Bursary in 2018. She tells us:
“Receiving the Bursary made it possible for me to study on UCL’s world-leading Transport and City Planning Masters programme, which offered an incredible academic experience in the urban laboratory of London. The programme equipped me for critical and creative thinking in transport innovation, which I am currently applying in the context of a local jurisdiction’s comprehensive mobility plan. It was an honour to receive the Bursary, and I’m hopeful that I can someday help to shape the future of London mobility.”
Rees Jeffreys Road Fund awarded an MSc bursary for 2019/2020 to Kate Winstanley to study at Newcastle University.
Kate told us “I wouldn’t have been able to undertake the course without your support. I have certainly learnt a lot over the past year, and will use that knowledge going forward.
My favourite module (albeit challenging) was Railways Management and Planning. This module was the most enlightening in regards to real world examples, and it was excellent experience to work alongside various external colleagues from Network Rail, and Office of Rail and Road, amongst others. Despite only being a student, my opinions and thoughts were treated with the same respect as the working external colleagues, and this really added to the positive impact of this module.”
Kate has since joined Jacobs as a Graduate Transport Planner. You can read Kate’s dissertation “To what extent is running considered to be a commuting mode, and what factors influence it?” here.
Steven Currie received a Rees Jeffreys Road Fund MSc bursary in 2020 to study at UCL. After a number of years working in aviation, road and rail sectors Steven wanted to continue to pursue his interest in transport and “it was the Rees Jeffreys bursary scheme that really made this possible.”
“The Transport & City Planning MSc combined my enthusiasm for business, my knowledge of user experience and service design, with physical planning and development of spaces; alongside the interaction with transport and city systems. I was able to explore subjects as diverse as sustainability and street design, to global politics and international transport project funding. This culminated in a thesis project that focused on electric vehicle infrastructure and analysed the user experience for EV drivers across the UK.”
“I have been able to complement my core experience with knowledge from the MSc that I will continue to refer to long into my future career in transport, wherever that will take me. The bursary has helped me to realise that longstanding dream and facilitated a career progression that would have otherwise been unattainable as a ‘mature student’.”
You can listen to Steven being interviewed by our Trustee Leon Daniels on this 2 minute podcast. With thanks to News – ITT HUb News.
Dr. Simon Blainey received a Rees Jeffreys Road Fund MSc bursary in 2005 to study at Imperial College.
Simon told us, “During my undergraduate degree in geography I decided that I wanted to pursue a career as a transport academic. The first stage on this journey was to undertake an MSc (essential at that time in order to get PhD funding), and the award of a Masters bursary by the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund enabled me to study for an MSc in Transport at Imperial College London and University College London in 2005-6.
I subsequently obtained a PhD from the University of Southampton, and following several years working as a researcher was appointed to a full time academic post there in 2014. I now lead the Southampton MSc programmes in Transportation Planning and Engineering, a role which includes supporting student applications for RJRF bursaries, so the wheel has turned full circle!”
