Transportation Initiative at Penn Welcomes Nadine S. Lee as a Senior Strategic Advisor

Philadelphia, PA—The Transportation Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania (TRIP), an initiative of the Penn Institute for Urban Research, announces the appointment of Nadine S. Lee, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), as a Senior Strategic Advisor. With more than two decades of leadership across some of the nation's most complex transit systems, Lee brings a unique combination of operational depth, strategic vision, and commitment to equitable mobility to the TRIP team.

A Career Defined by Innovation and Impact

As CEO of DART, Lee led an organization of 3,700 employees operating light rail, regional rail, bus routes, GoLink on-demand service, and paratransit, moving more than 171,000 passengers daily across a 13-city region. Her work commanded recognition as one of the Conference of Minority Transportation Official’s (COMTO) 2026 Women Who Move the Nation and industry leadership positions at International Association of Public Transport (UITP), WTS International, and American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

Prior to DART, Lee served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief Innovation Officer for Los Angeles County Metro, where she established the agency's Vision 2028 Strategic Plan, created the Offices of Equity & Race and Customer Experience, and launched the Better Bus Program. Earlier in her career, she led the development and implementation of the Flatiron Flyer Bus Rapid Transit project for Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) – a corridor that saw a 40 percent increase in ridership within its first months of service.

“Nadine Lee's appointment as TRIP's first Senior Strategic Advisor marks an exciting milestone for our initiative. Having worked with Nadine over many years, I have seen firsthand the breadth and depth of expertise she brings from transforming transit operations at some of the nation's largest agencies to shaping the field internationally. We could not be more excited to welcome her extraordinary talent and leadership to the Penn community and the TRIP team,” said Leslie Richards, Founder and Executive Director of TRIP and Weitzman School of Design Professor of Practice.

Connecting Research to Practice

As a Senior Strategic Advisor, Lee will contribute to TRIP's mission of connecting Penn's academic community with transportation agencies and policymakers around the globe. Her experience spans transit operations, strategic planning, and organizational equity—areas at the forefront of TRIP's work connecting research to practice in the transportation sector.

“I am thrilled collaborate with Penn to expand TRIP’s reach into the global transport community. Sowing the seeds of innovation from Penn worldwide will provide more opportunities to test new ideas and ultimately accelerate achievement of TRIP’s goals. I have long admired Leslie Richards, and I am honored to help her advance this beautiful vision,” said Lee.

About the Transportation Initiative at Penn (TRIP)

The Transportation Initiative at Penn (TRIP) is a hub for research, innovation, and real-world solutions in transportation, housed within the Penn Institute for Urban Research. TRIP brings together leading minds from academia, government, and industry to bridge the gap between research and the practical needs of transportation agencies across the country. TRIP is led by Founder and Executive Director Leslie Richards, former CEO of SEPTA and former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
 

About the Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR)

The Penn Institute for Urban Research is a university-wide initiative dedicated to advancing cross-disciplinary urban scholarship, fostering inclusive and sustainable cities, and bridging research with practice. Penn IUR convenes scholars, practitioners, students, and civic leaders to generate actionable knowledge that informs public and private decision-making and urban policy worldwide.