November 01, 2013 at 7:45AM - November 01, 2013 at 9:00AM
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Robert C. Johns
Director and Associate Administrator at Volpe, The National Transportation Systems Center
Volpe has been helping the transportation community navigate the most challenging problems for more than 40 years. As the National Transportation Systems Center, its mission is to improve transportation by anticipating and addressing emerging issues and advancing technical, operational, and institutional innovations across all modes.
Robert C. Johns serves as director and associate administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, a unique fee-for-service federal organization that conducts nearly $265 million in annual research and innovation projects for its customers, including all the DOT modal administrations and other federal and state agencies. Recent projects include analysis and modeling for fuel economy standards, technical assistance for high-speed rail projects, and expanded research for the NextGen air traffic control system. Approximately 570 federal employees and 450 on-site contractors carry out these and other projects at Volpe.
Prior to joining Volpe in 2009, Johns served as director of the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota (2001 to 2009), after serving as deputy director and associate director. Before joining the University in 1988, he held research and management positions with the Santa Fe Railway, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities. He is active in the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and is past chair of the TRB Activities Council, which oversees TRB’s 200 technical committees. He earned a BS degree in engineering operations from Iowa State University and MBA and MA degrees from the University of Iowa.
More information on the Speaker Series can be found on the Distinguished Speaker Series webpage.
Join us for a discussion on Volpe’s latest projects and innovative research.
Friday, November 1, 12:00pm to 1:00pm. A light lunch will be served at 11:45am.