USC ITE Co-Captains Mila Mattson and Emerson Sonoda at the ITE Southern California Section and Orange County Traffic Engineering Council’s 2026 Student Presentation Night (Photo/Eric Shen)
The USC chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers earned first place at the ITE Southern California Section and Orange County Traffic Engineering Council’s 2026 Student Presentation Night, held April 30 at the Knott’s Hotel in Buena Park.
For team co-captain Mila Mattson, a sophomore majoring in industrial and systems engineering in the USC Viterbi Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the moment marked the culmination of months of work.
“It was incredibly rewarding to see all of our work come together,” Mattson said. “As an industrial and systems engineering student, getting to apply what I’ve learned to a real-world problem like this — and then be recognized for it — meant a lot to me and our team.”
Added Maged Dessouky, Tryon Chair in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Spatial Sciences Institute: “I’m so happy for Mila and the entire team. We’re really proud of them.”
USC’s 10-member team competed against five other universities, including UCLA, UC Irvine, and Cal State Fullerton, earning top honors for both its project and presentation.
The group’s project, “Modeling Pedestrian Movement at LA28,” addressed a major challenge tied to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles: how to safely and efficiently move large crowds through one of the city’s busiest areas.
On May 7, the USC ITE chapter won another competition, the 2026 Bob Crommelin Student Presentations Meeting, along with $2,500, for its LA28 project.
A two-semester project with real-world impact
Mattson worked alongside co-captains Emerson Sonoda, a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in spatial data science, and Myron Murmanov, a sophomore majoring in urban studies and planning.
Developed over two semesters, the LA28 project focused on simulating how spectators would move around USC, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and nearby transit stations during the Summer Games, which will take place in July 2028. Using agent-based modeling, the team created a system that reflects how individuals move through space, including walking speed, route choices and crowd density.
“We wanted to understand what actually happens when hundreds of thousands of people are moving through the same space at once,” Mattson said. “The goal was to build something that reflects real behavior and can be useful for planning.”
The team simulated a scenario involving more than 250,000 people moving through the area minute by minute. The results identified areas where congestion and long wait times could occur, particularly near key transit access points.
A central finding was that the Metro E Line would be overwhelmed during peak periods. The team concluded that existing rail capacity alone would not be sufficient and that additional buses or other transportation options would be needed to move spectators to and from events.
“What stood out was how quickly things can reach a breaking point,” Mattson said. “But it also showed there are practical ways to improve the system if you plan for those peak moments.”
Beyond the competition, Mattson has helped expand USC’s ITE chapter, which has grown to 158 members representing 32 majors across campus. In her role focused on membership and engagement, she worked to create opportunities for students to participate in hands-on, student-led projects like the LA28 effort.
“We’ve worked hard to make the club open to anyone who’s interested. That’s been a big part of our growth, giving people the chance to work on real projects and learn by doing,” she said. “We’ve created something that other students can keep building on. I’m excited to see where they take it next.”
Published on May 11th, 2026
Last updated on May 11th, 2026