Lessons in Leading Mission-Based Innovation in Transportation: Zero Fatalities, Zero Pollution, and Zero Disparities
Part of the Martin Wachs Lecture Series and Luskin Lecture Series
During this session, Robert Hampshire will share several in-depth case studies of national significance on the role of innovation in roadway safety, aviation safety, supply chain disruptions, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) drones. Based on firsthand experiences from leading the US Department of Transportation research and technology enterprise, he will highlight the role that a mission-focused approach to innovation can play in addressing some of our most important societal challenges. In order to eliminate transportation fatalities, pollution and carbon emissions, and to serve all travelers, a collaborative multi-stakeholder, multi-industry approach is required. He took this approach during his time as a political appointee and senior leader in the US Department of Transportation during the Biden-Harris administration.
About the Speaker
On January 20, 2021, Hampshire was sworn in and performed the duties of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the United States Department of Transportation, and served as the department’s Chief Science Officer, becoming the first to fill the role in over 40 years.
In this role he led the $2B research and technology portfolio of USDOT and agenda across all modes of transportation. His office included the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Cambridge, MA), Transportation Safety Institute (Oklahoma City, OK), Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office, the SMART grant program, University Transportation Centers grant program , Advanced Research Projects Agency for Infrastructure (ARPA-I), Climate Change Center, Office of Position Navigation and Timing (PNT) and Spectrum management, ant the Highly Automated Safe System Center of Excellence (HASS COE).
On Jan 21, 2025, Hampshire returned to his faculty position at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. His research applies a blend of public policy, operations research, data science, and systems approaches to analyze novel transportation systems such as smart parking, connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, ride-hailing, bike sharing, car sharing, as well as, pedestrian and bicyclist safety. His research focuses on environmental impacts, equity, and access to opportunities. His work has been cited widely, and covered by major press outlets. He has worked extensively with both public and private sector partners worldwide. He has also been a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University and a visiting professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Hampshire received a PhD in operations research and financial engineering from Princeton University.
