The ASCE Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI) is pleased to announce Alyssa Ryan, Ph.D., EIT, A.M.ASCE, of the University of Arizona, as the 2024 recipient of the T&DI Outstanding Younger Member Award. The award was established to recognize the professional contributions of younger members of the Institute.
Dr. Ryan is an Assistant Professor of Transportation Engineering at the University of Arizona, where she also serves as Assistant Director of the Center for Applied Transportation Sciences. She earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where her research focused on transportation safety, equity, and human factors.
More than anything, Dr. Ryan is passionate about teaching, mentoring, and shaping the next generation of transportation engineers. She finds deep fulfillment in helping students develop their technical expertise while inspiring them to think about the broader impacts of engineering on communities. As a dedicated mentor, she actively advises undergraduate and graduate students, guiding them through research, career decisions, and professional development. Many of her students have gone on to win research awards, secure competitive fellowships, and take on leadership roles in the field. She believes that investing in students is one of the most meaningful ways to advance the profession and create lasting change.
Her research integrates novel data sources to address pressing challenges in mobility and infrastructure. She has been credited with over $1.2 million in research funding as part of projects totaling more than $3.4 million, advancing knowledge in areas such as red-light running camera safety, safety equity, and alert systems. She actively incorporates her research into the classroom, ensuring that students are exposed to cutting-edge methodologies and real-world applications.
A dedicated leader in ASCE, Dr. Ryan has been actively engaged in T&DI since 2019, when she was a doctoral student. She served as Chair of the T&DI Younger Member Committee from October 2023 to September 2024 and now continues her involvement as Immediate Past Chair. She is also the Program Chair for the 2025 ASCE International Conference on Transportation & Development (ICTD), leading efforts to organize an exciting technical program that brings together experts in transportation research and practice.
Beyond ASCE, Dr. Ryan holds leadership roles in multiple professional organizations. She is Vice Chair of the Transportation Research Board Committee on Women and Gender in Transportation and Vice-Chair of the TRB Committee on Strategic Management. Additionally, she actively contributes to the Institute of Transportation Engineers, spearheading efforts in education and equity.
Her previous accolades include recognition as an ITE Young Leader to Follow (2022), the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section Clemens Herschel Award (2021), and runner-up for the ASCE Jack E. Leisch Memorial Graduate Fellowship (2021). She has authored 26 peer-reviewed journal articles.
Outside of her professional work, Dr. Ryan enjoys birding, hiking, and trying new recipes.