Elizabeth White named chief of staff for Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Elizabeth White has been named chief of staff for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and officially began her role on May 20.
As chief of staff, White will support Executive Director Zac Doerzaph’s efforts to accomplish the institute’s strategic agenda and lifesaving mission. She will lead the generation, compilation, and analysis of business intelligence data from across the organization to inform key organizational strategies and decisions. White also will collaborate closely with Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s (VTTI) Road to Inclusion Diversity and Equity Committee to promote an environment that fosters open communication, inclusivity, accessibility, empathy, and understanding.
“Liz has demonstrated success at our institute,” Doerzaph said. “With broad experiences across research, business administration, and program development roles, Liz is the optimal chief of staff. As a key member of our leadership, Liz will ensure the high-performance teams at VTTI have the resources they need to unlock a safe effective mobility system of the future.”
Before joining the institute, White served in multiple industrial engineering roles at PepsiCo, most recently as quality manager of the New River Valley manufacturing facility.
At the institute, White has managed a diverse portfolio of projects and large programs focusing on connected and automated vehicles, micro-mobility, and vulnerable road users, supporting the Division of Technology Implementation. With roles including research associate, operations manager, programs and business manager, and interim chief of staff, she brings over 10 years of experience with the institute to her new role. Institute research initiatives that she worked on include
- The first large-scale naturalistic driving study of electric scooters
- The development and demonstration of a level 4 autonomous pickup truck capable of safely interacting with public safety officials in complex scenarios
- The expansion of the next generation of work zone safety technology and work zone vehicles
- A multiyear partnership with the Virgnia Department of Transportation to expand transportation data collection in Northern Virginia
“I am excited for the new challenges that will come with this role,” White said. “Our people and culture are the backbone of our institute’s success, and I am eager to continue finding new ways to support them and elevate the research that supports VTTI’s lifesaving mission.”
White earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Radford University.
