This video is part of the Division of Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance’s Research Integrity and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Lecture Series. The goals of RISE lecture series are to foster ethical scholarship, explore a diversity of perspectives about the roles and responsibilities of scholars and researchers, and reflect on the ethical impact of our work in the modern world.

In this Rise lecture, Kristin White discusses the importance of technology and innovation in transportation and their impacts on the research community as well as on communities that use transportation to access critical services. White also highlights the United States Department of Transportation’s strategic goals, how the department approaches transportation research innovation and technology transformation, how individuals weigh risk and ethical considerations, and how everyone can be responsible stewards of the future transportation system.

Kristin White was named chief counsel of the Federal Highway Administration at the United States Department of Transportation in July 2023. In this role, White oversees all aspects of FHWA’s legislative, regulatory, and other programs to advise the federal-aid highway program and the secretary on matters relating to the 2,700-person agency and $59 billion federal-aid highway program. White serves as part of the Federal Highway Administration senior leadership team and manages 60 professionals in four offices across the country to advance the department’s mission to deliver a world-class system that advances safe, efficient, equitable, and sustainable mobility voices for all while strengthening the Nation’s economy.