Ashley Finch

HOW WERE YOU AFFILIATED WITH WGS?

Women's and Gender Studies major - member/officer of WSSO and a member of Triota.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT WORK (PAID OR UNPAID!)

I manage the Shared Micromobility program at the City of Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT), as the "Shared Micromobility Coordinator." I oversee the daily management, operations, and administration of dockless shared micromobility devices (e-scooters, e-bikes, and other small electric devices) including regular meetings with operators, continuous tracking of permit and operator performance requirements, and evaluating the management of the curb and public right-of-way as it relates to micromobility and new transportation technologies. I work to ensure that shared micromobility devices are available to all residents, including those in low-income communities or people with disabilities, by working to offer affordable options and including devices with multiple form factors. 

I conduct ongoing reviews of the program, develop policy recommendations, and support leadership with decision-making reharding shared micromobility. I gather and analyze data on micromobility usage, including trip frequency, vehicle distribution, and management of areas with high demand. I engage with the public to gather feedback on their experience with the program. This could include surveys, public meetings, or partnerships with community organizations to understand user needs and challenges.

I work on developing strategic locations for the installation of shared micromobility parking corrals and bike parking throughout the city. I collaborate with other planners to help achieve Vision Zero goals and the city’s Strategic Transportation Plan is to improve safety on the city’s streets and to improve the experience of pedestrians, transit riders, cyclists, and scooter/micromobility users.

HOW HAS YOUR WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES EXPERIENCE SHAPED YOUR LIFE AND WORK POST GRADUATION?

Equity and intersectionality are a huge component of my job serving the public of the City of Atlanta. I constantly use the concepts I learned in WMST in my job, as trying to impove the equity and accessibility of the shared micromobility program is a major goal for myself and the department. We are currently exploring a more community-driven and affordable model of shared micromobility that I think deeply reflects the ethos and values I learned as a WMST student. WMST also taught me to be a deeply empathetic person and taught me strong qualitative evaluation skills that I still use in my current role. I think the cirriculum taught in WSMT reflects very strongly in public service work, especially in transportation planning. Atlanta, in particular, is dealing with the lasting impacts of environmental and racial justice issues through the use of the interstate highway system to segregate communities. My work in WMST helped me to understand these concepts more deeply and think critically about the policies that led to these decisions, as well as ones that continue to impact the inequities in the City today. 

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM YOUR TIME IN WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES AT UGA? COURSES, PROFESSORS, EVENTS?

Classes like "Gender, Race, Class, and Sexuality" fundamentally changed the way I view the world, I am so grateful to have been given such an insightful and challenging course understanding concepts like intersectionality that I had never heard before. I really loved the "Environment, Gender, Race, and Class" course with Dr. Herles. It made me think about the connections between the environment and gender/race/class in a way that really expanded my understanding of what that meant. I feel like those concepts are very near to me in my work in transportation planning and climate justice at the City of Atlanta. I feel my goal in life is to create mobility options for people to reduce the dependency on cars and single-occupancy vehicles, however; due to major societal inequities and policy choices this can be deeply challenging and so much of it relates back to gender/race/and class. Courses like these have made me better at my job and have helped me to better understanding the nuances and complexities of serving a diverse public. I also really enjoyed time working at U-Garden during this class! 

I honestly loved all of my Women's Studies courses. They constantly challenged the way I thought about things and were honestly just very fun. I still have friends from the program that I am in touch with today, and they are also doing such amazing things. The program really brought such kind, interesting, and passionate students together. I always speak to highly of the program and the impact it had on me. I am a better public servant for having my women's studies degree and all of the learning and unlearning I did during my degree. 

I loved planning the Take Back the Night events for multiple years even though it was often very challenging! We always ended up having a great time and bringing the community together to raise awareness for TBTN. I loved being on the leadership for WSSO and bringing students together for feminist causes on campus. It was such a fun way to make friends and have a small impact at UGA. I think back on that time very fondly. 

ANY ADVICE FOR CURRENT WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES STUDENTS (GRADUATE OR UNDERGRADUATE)?

Women's Studies can open up so many opportunities and can have a profound impact on so many different fields of work. I encourage WMST students to explore what excites them and to reach out to people in those fields to better understand how they can use their WMST degrees to get there. I constantly talk about how much my degree in WMST has made me a better transportation planner - I think the concepts we learning in WMST relate SO much to the work that I do in the planning field and in working with the public in general. My degree in WMST has enabled me to work towards a more inclusive and equitable transportation planning practice. Community Engagement is also a major part of my job that I think a background in WMST really supports and bolsters.