Joe DiJohn Memorial Fund Scholarship
Transportation Professional Sarah Geinosky, MUPP, Given 2018 Joe DiJohn Memorial Fund Scholarship
Award to Honor Transportation Researcher and Pace Executive Housed at the Urban Transportation Center at UIC
CHICAGO (September 2018) – Sarah Geinosky, MUPP, who in May earned her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, was given the 2018 Joe DiJohn Memorial Fund Scholarship, established to honor the late transportation researcher and former executive director of the Pace Suburban Bus.
The award marks the debut of the Joe DiJohn Memorial Fund Scholarship, which is housed at the Urban Transportation Center (UTC), a research unit within the UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (CUPPA).
The award was presented August 23 by UTC Director Dr. P.S. Sriraj in a ceremony held at CUPPA Hall on the UIC campus. The scholarship was given in the amount of $1,000.
Ms. Geinosky, a resident of Oak Park, Illinois, was granted the scholarship for outstanding academic achievement and strong interest in pursuing a career in the transportation industry. She currently holds the position of scheduler with Pace.
“It certainly is appropriate that Sarah would land a position with Pace and become the first recipient of the Joe DiJohn award,” said Dr. Sriraj. “Sarah certainly deserves this honor and recognition for her academic performance and contributions as a graduate research assistant at the UTC.”
As a scheduler with Pace, Ms. Geinosky interacts with personnel at garages and planners to coordinate effective bus schedules during weekdays and weekends, as well as during special events involving routes leading to major attractions like Six Flags Great America amusement park and Brookfield Zoo.
“The classes I took when pursuing my master’s degree provided hands-on experience and inspired the logical kind of thinking needed for me to excel as a scheduler,” Ms. Geinosky said.
At the UTC, Ms. Geinosky contributed to research funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to study the organizational structures of planning departments in different state Departments of Transportation. She advised others pursuing careers in transportation to consider the wide range of career opportunities in the industry and to build a network. “The transportation industry in Chicago is quite encompassing, so it pays to invest time in meeting people in the profession.”
On earning the first DiJohn award, Ms. Geinosky noted: “I’m very, very honored to receive this award, especially given Mr. DiJohn’s contributions to Chicago and its transportation network.”
Joseph DiJohn, who passed away in 2011, was the first executive director of Pace, the suburban bus network and regional ADA paratransit provider serving Northeastern Illinois. He began his affiliation with the UTC in 1998 as an adjunct faculty member. He completed numerous research papers on the role of transportation systems in sustainable urban growth.
During his career at the UTC, Mr. DiJohn also played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Center, including the establishment of the Metropolitan Transportation Support Initiative (METSI), created by the IDOT to provide funding for research into emerging transportation issues.
For more information on the DiJohn Memorial Fund Scholarship and other donation options, visit the online giving form on the CUPPA website.