Past Events
To read news and see videos from our past speakers, click on an event below. You can use the filters to find events that are of greatest interest to you.
Dr. Stephen Flynn on The Imperative and Opportunity to Invest in Resilient Infrastructure
Dr. Stephen Flynn presented options for overcoming barriers to advancing the widespread adoption of resilient design and engineering best practices. Dr. Flynn is the founding director of the Global Resilience Institute and a professor of political science and of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern University.
Our Shared Transportation Future
The next 15 years will look different than the last 15 years. What will we do with that knowledge? In his talk at Volpe, General Darren McDew discussed challenges and opportunities that are coming over the next decade-and-a-half. Will we build on the solid foundation of our relationships and get after the challenges of tomorrow today? Will we find ways to challenge our thinking and norms and identify the people, technology, and processes that will deliver success?
Between Public and Private Mobility: Examining the Rise of Technology-Enabled Transportation Services
TRB Executive Director Neil Pedersen discussed a new study that addresses a number of policy issues associated with technology-enabled transportation services, such as car-sharing and bike-sharing microtransit services, and transportation network companies, such as Uber and Lyft.
Moving Freight: Can Goods Movement Help Carry a Surface Transport Bill?
Mortimer L. Downey III, senior advisor at Parsons Brinckerhoff and former U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary, presented a talk at Volpe titled "Moving Freight: Can Goods Movement Help Carry a Surface Transport Bill?"
Transportation and Livability: What's That Really Mean for Rural Transportation Systems?
Dr. Lisa Aultman-Hall reviewed the rise of livability as a concept in federal transportation policy between 2009 and 2012 and discussed lessons learned, specifically barriers that must be overcome, for non-metropolitan and rural areas.
Educating the Next Generation
MIT professor Ian A. Waitz shared insights on how education is changing. He provided examples outlining how students are now leading the way and how their expectations about education have changed.
Discoveries in D.C. and Delft: Reflections on the Future of Transportation Research and Education
Professor Robert Bertini from Portland State University spoke on September 18, 2013, during a Volpe speaker series event, offering insights from his time with the Dutch at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and his two years at U.S. DOT.
Measuring Walkability: The Health Question
Does the design of a neighborhood affect the level of a person's physical activity? Do people who live in more compact areas get more physical activity than those who live in sprawling neighborhoods? Ann Forsyth, professor of urban planning and director of the Masters in Urban Planning program at Harvard University, addressed these questions during her talk "Measuring Walkability: The Health Question."
Considering Transportation as a Complex Sociotechnical System
Dr. Joseph M. Sussman, JR East Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Engineering Systems Division at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presented “Considering Transportation as a Complex Sociotechnical System” during a Volpe speaker series event.
Using Automated Data Collection Systems to Improve Public Transport Performance: Applications at Transport for London
Dr. Nigel H.M. Wilson, civil and environmental engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presented "Using Automated Data Collection Systems to Improve Public Transport Performance: Applications at Transport for London" on March 6, 2013.