VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2

Eva Shipp can point to numerous turning points in her life and career, but perhaps the most significant was her near-fatal crash with an 18-wheeler when she was 19. Although she was fortunate to survive, a pre-existing back ailment became worse and, eventually, career changing.

 

“I was studying to become an archeologist, and I did graduate with a degree, but the crash was always on my mind,” Shipp explains. “It was completely preventable — and that always stuck with me.”

 

As graduation approached, Shipp found herself on a project in Turkey at King Midas’ tomb, where she re-injured her back. It became clear that physical labor, a big part of her work as an archeologist, was not something she could do.

 

Shipp switched careers, working toward a degree in epidemiology, the area of medicine that focuses on the occurrence, distribution, and potential control of diseases and other health factors. While working on her masters, the possibility of a career in crash prevention became clear.

 

“As part of a practicum, I worked at the Riverside Campus with TTI’s Lindsay Griffin on a project involving older driver crashes at intersections,” Shipp says. “He was such an inspiration, and the work definitely affected me.”

 

With a doctorate degree in epidemiology, Shipp landed a job at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health in 2010. She became a tenured professor and conducted field studies, many of which focused on injuries among migrant farm workers. And last year, she worked with TTI again—this time with the Center for Transportation Safety and its director, Robert Wunderlich, on an effort to link crash and patient data.

 

“I was very impressed with her work and her enthusiasm and I knew I wanted her on our team,” Wunderlich says. “I’m excited about bringing the perspective of an epidemiologist to the analysis of traffic safety. I think she will give us a fresh way of looking at possible solutions for crash prevention.”

 

Shipp became a CTS research scientist in November.

 

“I certainly feel like I can now have an even bigger impact on injury prevention with my work at TTI. I am so fortunate to be here and a member of Robert Wunderlich’s team,” Shipp says. “No telling what I would be doing now if it weren’t for that crash with an 18-wheeler years ago.”