|
|
2027 TRB Annual Meeting: Anne Aylward Recipient of the 2027 Frank Turner Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Transportation
Anne Aylward is the 2027 recipient of the Frank Turner Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Transportation. A nationally recognized expert in freight and intermodal transportation planning, policy analysis, and operations, Aylward is recognized for nearly 50 years of transportation experience and public service. Her career includes senior leadership of the U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center and the Port of Boston, as well as sustained contributions to transportation technology, innovation, freight, and intermodal policy.
The Frank Turner Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Transportation is a biennial award established in 1998 by a group of friends, colleagues, and admirers of Frances C. (Frank) Turner to honor him and to commemorate his extraordinary accomplishments in the development and construction of the U.S. transportation system. Turner was the initial recipient of the award in January 1999. The award recognizes lifetime achievement in transportation, demonstrated by a distinguished career in the field, professional prominence, and a distinctive, widely recognized contribution to transportation policy, administration, or research.
The award will be presented on Wednesday, January 13, 2027, during the Chair’s Plenary Session portion of the TRB Annual Meeting, January 10-14, 2027, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
Aylward retired in September 2024 after 30 years of service at the U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, including eight years as director. As director, she led the work of nearly 700 engineers, planners, and analysts engaged in a $250 million portfolio of transportation technology and innovation projects. She was the Center’s seventh permanent director since its inception in 1970 and the first woman to hold the position.
Before becoming Director in 2016, Aylward spent more than 20 years at the Volpe Center, first as transportation practice manager on its on-site contract, then as director of multimodal planning and analysis and deputy director for research. Under her leadership, the Center grew substantially and hired hundreds of professionals. She strengthened relationships with U.S. DOT modal administrations and other partners, helping to increase the value of the Center’s work portfolio, and she reprioritized staff to support implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Aylward successfully led the Volpe Center through the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing staff safety, connection, and well-being while maintaining high productivity and staff satisfaction. She also led the Center through its move to 220 Binney Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a new state-of-the-art, LEED Platinum-certified facility that opened in September 2023. She had a particular passion for professional development and accessibility initiatives, and under her leadership more women were promoted into leadership roles.
Prior to joining the Volpe Center, Aylward spent almost 20 years at the Massachusetts Port Authority, including more than a decade as director of the Port of Boston. She also served as chair of the American Association of Port Authorities and was the first woman to serve in both positions. Across her career, she became a nationally recognized expert in freight and intermodal transportation and worked to increase understanding among public-sector transportation professionals of the importance of moving freight in the United States and internationally.
Aylward has a long record of service to the National Academies and TRB, beginning with membership on the Committee for the Study on Landside Access to U.S. Ports in 1991 and service on the Marine Board, the Committee on Shipborne Wastes, and the Committee on Implementing Advanced Information Systems for Safe and Efficient Maritime Commerce. Her service on TRB standing committees has included membership on those addressing intermodal freight transportation and freight transportation planning and logistics, as well as the Task Force on Intermodal Transportation.
Aylward’s professional recognition includes the WTS local and International Woman of the Year Award in 1993 and the WTS Boston Leadership Award in 2015. In 2024, she was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
Anne Aylward embodies the spirit of the Turner Award through a lifetime of visionary leadership, distinguished public service, and enduring contributions that have advanced transportation policy, innovation, and practice for the public good.
This Summary Last Modified On: 9/7/2026
|
|
|