Katie Turnbull, executive associate director of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), has been appointed vice chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee. The appointment was made by Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academy of Sciences and Chair of the National Research Council (NRC).
“This is a significant milestone not only for Dr. Turnbull, but also for TTI,” states Agency Director Dennis Christiansen. “She has served TRB with distinction for nearly three decades, and becoming vice chair of the Executive Committee is a major accomplishment both personally and professionally. We are extremely proud of Katie and all she’s done for the Institute, the state of Texas and the nation.”
Active in TRB committees, conferences, and projects, Turnbull has served as chair at the task force, committee, section, and group levels. She served as of the chair of the Technical Activities Council from 2011 to 2014 and was appointed to the Executive Committee in 2016. Turnbull was named a lifetime national associate of the NRC in 2012 and she was honored with TRB’s W.N. Carey Distinguished Service Award in 2015.
“It is an honor to be named vice chair of the TRB Executive Committee,” Turnbull said of the appointment. “Contributing to TRB has been very rewarding and I look forward to working with TRB staff, Executive Committee members, and other groups in continuing to address critical transportation issues.”
The Executive Committee is responsible to the NRC for recommending policy and providing administrative oversight for all TRB programs and activities. TRB’s mission is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal.