Robert Skinner

Robert Skinner served as the Executive Director of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine from 1994 to 2015. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Skinner directed TRB’s policy study activities. Before joining TRB, Mr. Skinner was a Vice President of Alan M. Voorhees and Associates, a transportation consulting firm.

In a volunteer capacity, Skinner served on the Metrolink (Los Angeles) Commuter Rail Safety Review Panel and chaired the Special Advisory Panel for the Stem-to-Stern Safety Review of the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project. In addition, he has served on a number of university and other research advisory groups. Current assignments include the advisory boards for the MIT-Portugal Project; the University Transportation Center, a joint research center of Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pennsylvania; UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies; the Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers; and NCE, a Nevada-based engineering firm.

Skinner earned his bachelor degree in civil engineering from the University of Virginia and received a master degree in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A registered professional engineer, Skinner has received the Director’s Research Champion Award from the Texas Transportation Institute (2011), the James Laurie Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers (2003), and the P.D. McLean Memorial Award from the Road Gang (2001). He was the 2015 recipient of the Frank Turner Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Transportation and the 2016 recipient of the George S. Bartlett Award.