LuAnn Theiss, PE

TTI Research Engineer

Education

• M.Eng., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2004
• B.S., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1986

Short Biography

Ms. Theiss is a Research Engineer in the Traffic Operations and Roadway Safety Division of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. She has over 15 years of experience as a principal investigator or key researcher on projects relating to work zone safety and operations, traffic control device evaluations, and human factors. As principal investigator, she is currently leading projects to improve safety at flagger stations and lane closures (TxDOT) and improve safety in mobile operations on two-lane roads (NCHRP). She has completed work zone operations and safety studies for Texas, Florida, California, Ohio, and Colorado DOTs, including a evaluations of temporary traffic control devices and strategies, work zone intrusion countermeasures, and roadway worker safety assessments. Several of these studies included preparation of state-of-the-practice documents, as well as human factors research specifically designed to describe driver interpretation of and reaction to various temporary traffic control elements. Ms. Theiss also made significant contributions to ACRP's new wayfinding and signing guidelines for airport terminals and landside. 

Prior to rejoining TTI in 2004, Ms. Theiss gained valuable experience in a variety of roadway and airport design projects while employed by Kimley-Horn and Associates. As a consultant, she developed construction plans for Cowan Boulevard and Celebrate Virginia Parkway in Fredericksburg, Virginia, as well as site plans for various properties in Chesapeake, Virginia. Airport improvement projects were also part of her experience at Kimley-Horn, including airside components at Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and taxiway extensions at Memphis International Airport. She also helped to develop conceptual plans for proposed landside roadways for the O'Hare terminal expansion project. 

Ms. Theiss received her B.S. and M.E degrees in civil engineering from Texas A&M University and she is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of Texas. She has also obtained certifications as a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE) and a Project Management Professional (PMP). She is a member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and is Past President of the Brazos Valley Section of the Texas District of ITE (TexITE). She has received the TTI/Trinity Herbert H. Richardson Team Award twice: once in 2007 for her contribution to the nationally recognized "Teens in the Driver Seat” Program, and again in 2105 for her role in in a variable speed limit pilot project for TxDOT. More recently, she received the TTI Researcher award in 2018 for her leadership and ability to translate research findings into user-friendly implementation products. Other accomplishments include receiving the 2014 and 2017 Best Paper Awards from the TRB Work Zone Traffic Control Committee. Ms. Theiss is also an FAA-licensed private pilot.