Katie N. Womack

Womack, Katie

Senior Research Scientist

Behavioral Research Group - Gilchrist, Room 243
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
The Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 845-5153 Ext. 55153 · fax (979) 845-4872
kwomack@tamu.edu

Short Biography

Katie Womack is a Senior Research Scientist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and is the manager of the Behavioral Research Group at the Center for Transportation Safety. Ms. Womack has been a member of the Institute's full-time staff for over 24 years, joining TTI as a graduate student in Sociology at Texas A&M University. Prior to receiving her Master?s degree from Texas A&M University, Ms. Womack received B.A. degrees (cum laude) in Sociology and Psychology at Texas A&M University?Commerce.

Ms. Womack's primary areas of interest are in survey research and traffic safety research. She has 25 years of experience in various methods of survey research, including focus group, expert panel, telephone, personal interview, and mail questionnaire design, implementation and analysis. Ms. Womack has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on numerous research studies, including over 25 Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) funded projects and two National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) funded projects. Occupant restraint surveys and studies have been a focal point of Ms. Womack?s work during the past 15 years. Ms. Womack is currently responsible for observational surveys to assess the safety belt and child restraint use rates for the state of Texas.

Ms. Womack has been actively involved in the Transportation Research Board as a committee member on the Committee on Operator Education and Regulation, the Committee on Social and Economic Factors of Transportation, and the Committee on Bicycling. Ms. Womack is a certified child passenger safety technician. In 2000, Ms. Womack received the TTI/Trinity Researcher of the Year Award.

Education

  • M.S., Sociology, Texas A&M University, 1978.
  • B.S., Psychology, East Texas State University, 1976, Cum Laude.
  • B.S., Sociology, East Texas State University, 1976, Cum Laude.

Experience

  • Senior Research Scientist, Behavioral Research Group, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, February 2002 - Present.
  • Research Scientist, Center for Transportation Safety, Texas Transportation Institute, May 1993 - January 2002.
  • Associate Research Scientist, Human Factors, Texas Transportation Institute, September 1990 - April 1993.
  • Associate Research Sociologist, Human Factors, Texas Transportation Institute, September 1989 - August 1990.
  • Assistant Research Sociologist, Economics and Policy, Texas Transportation Institute, September 1982 - August 1989.
  • Research Associate, Transportation Economics, Texas Transportation Institute, June 1978 - August 1982.
  • Research Assistant, Transportation Economics, Texas Transportation Institute, September 1977 - May 1978.
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Sociology, Texas A&M University, September 1976 - May 1977.

Consulting

  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, AAA, August 1998.
  • Population and Survey Analysts (PASA) Consulting, 1988.
  • Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1996 - 1999.
  • National Research Council, NCHRP Sythesis Research, 1991 - 1995.
  • R.Q. Brackett Consulting, 1991 - 1995.
  • City of Waco, Waco, Texas, 1980 - 1980.

Affiliations

  • Past Member, Transportation Research Board (TRB), Committee on Social, Economic, and Environmental Factors.
  • Past Member, Transportation Research Board (TRB), Committee on Operator Education and Regulation.
  • Committee Member, Greater Dallas Injury Prevention Center, Safe Community Demonstration & Evaluation Program of North Oak Cliff and West Dallas.
  • Expert Panel Member, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Workshop on Advanced Technology Applications to Increase Safety Belt Use for Vehicle Occupants, 2000.
  • Member, Texas Driver Education Curriculum Review Committe, 1998 - 1999.
  • Member, Texas Bicycle Helmet and Safety Coalition, Data Collection Committee, 1993 - 1994.
  • Member, Texas-Based Task Force on Older Drivers, Public Education and Information Committee, 1992 - 1993.

Honors & Awards

Trinity Research Award, Trinity Industries, Inc., 2001.

Selected Publications

B.R. Sperry, C.A. Morgan, L.E. Olson, K.N. Womack. Customer Service Assessment for the Port Terminal Railroad Association. 600020-1. February 2012.

D.F. Pearson, E.N. Hard, S.P. Farnsworth, T.L. Forrest, D.L. Spillane, M.I. Ojah, K.N. Womack, S.A. Boxill, C.A. Lewis. Guidelines and Recommendations for Household and External Travel Surveys. 0-5711-P1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. March 2010.

D.F. Pearson, E.N. Hard, S.P. Farnsworth, T.L. Forrest, D.L. Spillane, M.I. Ojah, K.N. Womack, S.A. Boxill, C.A. Lewis. Improving Accuracy in Household and External Travel Surveys. 0-5711-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. January 2010.