Key Officials
Ellen E. Bell, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Research and Innovation
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
U.S. Department of Transportation
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
617/494-2491 | ellen.bell@dot.gov
Ellen Bell serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Research and Innovation at the Volpe Center. In this leadership position, she brings together leaders and decision makers from across the transportation enterprise to anticipate future transportation issues, generate fresh approaches to emerging issues and build and reinforce key stakeholder and sponsor relations. Ellen serves as a senior advisor to Deputy Associate Administrator for Research, Innovation and Technology and the Directors of Volpe's Centers of Innovation and as leader of strategic research and innovation initiatives, outreach, programs, plans, and policy issues.
Ellen's twenty-five year career in Federal service has included positions in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and most recently the Volpe Center. Her extensive experience ranges from planning and implementation of high-impact Departmental strategic initiatives to serving as Chief of Staff, Director of Strategic Outreach and Government Relations, and a facilitator and enabler of all levels of management change and organizational transformation. Her contributions to U.S. DOT have been recognized by several awards from Secretaries of Transportation and the highest awards granted by the Administrators of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration and the Research and Special Programs Administration. Ellen graduated from Stonehill College with a BA in political science and Harvard University with a Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies, government concentration.
