Carole Voulgaris is an Associate Professor in Urban Planning at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, where she taught courses focused on sustainable mobility, public transportation, system planning, and intelligent transportation systems. Carole holds a PhD in Urban Planning from UCLA, an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and multiple Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University. Her research is centered on the factors influencing individual and household travel decisions, with a keen interest in transportation planning to inform policy and infrastructure designs. She employs quantitative metrics to analyze the built environment and its effects on travel behavior. Among her notable publications are articles in esteemed journals such as the Transportation Research Record and Urban Geography. Her doctoral dissertation, "Crystal Balls and Black Boxes: Optimism Bias in Ridership Cost Forecasts for New Starts Rapid Transit Projects," was awarded the Barclay Gibbs Jones Doctoral Dissertation Planning Award by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. Carole's professional background includes work with the Utah Transit Authority and the South African Catholic Bishop’s Conference, and she is a licensed professional engineer in Washington State.