Every day for the past two years, UCLA graduate student Allison Yoh has taken the bus to school.

Now she will have a powerful voice in how that massive bus system is run.

Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn recently appointed Yoh, who is specializing in transportation planning and policy in the School of Public Policy and Social Research, to the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

Her colleagues on the MTA board include Hahn, the five Los Angeles County supervisors, two other Los Angeles mayoral appointees and officials from several other cities.

But Yoh, 30, a political newcomer, doesn't plan on taking a backseat to anyone: "I hope to bring to the board some of the research I've done and some of the academic training I've received," she said. "I hope to bring an analytical and evaluative perspective to planning."

Her adviser echoes that. "She has a good analytical mind and a calm, composed and mature presence beyond her years," said Brian Taylor, director of the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies and associate professor of urban planning. "Allison is also quite articulate and good at thinking on her feet."

Yoh's goals are focused on serving those who lack transportation and coaxing drivers into public transit or carpools.

The fact that she has a bus rider's perspective was an important factor in her appointment. In his search for possible MTA appointees, Hahn asked UCLA's Government and Community Relations staff to recommend a student bus rider.

"Allison Yoh brings to the MTA board not only her experience working on transit issues, but her firsthand experience using public transit," Hahn said. "As someone who does not own a car, Allison relies on our public transit system to get her where she needs to go. She is a talented young woman, who I am confident will well serve the people of Los Angeles."

Her background as a scholar also qualifies her for the prestigious volunteer job.

Yoh just finished a yearlong internship at the MTA where she conducted market research for service planning. Her master's thesis, currently underway, examines the fallout of last year's MTA operators' strike.

Yoh became interested in public transportation while volunteering at a crisis center in Gainesville, Fla. She noticed that clients with mental-health problems were most likely to recover if they had support networks and the ability to reach those resources.

"Transportation issues affect people's daily lives, and here is where I hope to effect some positive changes," Yoh said.