Principal Technical Advisor for Transportation Technology Innovation

Suzanne Sloan is a principal technical advisor for transportation technology innovation at the U.S. DOT Volpe Center. She received her Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University.

Sloan began her work in transportation at the U.S. DOT Volpe Center in 1997. She is recognized for her significant contributions to the adoption of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). This area of research and practice delivers new and innovative technologies to transform transportation performance through improvements in safety; technology architecture, standards, and test validation; communications and spectrum analysis; and system-of-systems performance.

With the emergence of cooperative and connected technologies, Sloan’s focus has shifted to analysis of policy options that create the foundation for cooperative and trusted transportation environments. She has put in place a systems lifecycle analytical process for identifying technical and institutional changes that require examination and deliberation throughout the technology lifecycle. The identification of these needs leads to a process of creating new options, adapting existing options, or adopting options that exist for other industries. These options further allow for the assessment of trade-offs, so that decision-makers can understand the impact and opportunities for the institutions and market actors that will deploy, operate, and maintain the technologies. This process has been applied within international harmonization working groups focused on cooperative ITS policy. Sloan is a co-leader of international working groups that have addressed security and standards policies that support a harmonized global marketplace.

Sloan’s focus areas have not been limited to intelligent transportation technologies. In her career, she has also performed research related to critical and emerging technologies such as cybersecurity or positioning, navigation, and timing; spaceport and transportation policies; technology standards; technology and knowledge transfer methodologies; and transportation spectrum and communications. Sloan has developed a range of strategic plans, reports to Congress, and policy reports for U.S. DOT. Her many publications have been distributed worldwide. In addition, Sloan’s early work analyzed the institutional and workforce changes necessitated by the introduction of new technologies. Her research led to the development of professional capacity building (PCB) strategies for the transportation workforce. She helped establish the first PCB program for U.S. DOT, which subsequently launched a range of these programs across the Department to address knowledge and skills in different transportation areas (e.g., planning, safety, or emergency preparedness).

Sloan is the recipient of numerous awards for her work. She received U.S. DOT’s Excellence in Public Service Award in 2010 and the U.S. DOT Volpe Center Director’s Recognition Award in 2011.