Hilary Nixon, Ph.D
Dr. Hilary Nixon is Deputy Executive Director at the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University. She oversees a multi-million-dollar research program at MTI that focuses on improving mobility of people and goods and ensuring that the transportation system is safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient for all. Dr. Nixon is an active researcher and educator specializing in transportation and environmental planning and policy. Her research focuses primarily on the factors that influence pro-environmental behavior, transportation finance, and the relationship between transportation and the environment. Prior to joining MTI full-time in 2018, Dr. Nixon spent 12 years as faculty in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at San José State University where she held positions as Graduate Advisor, Associate Chair, and Department Chair. Dr. Nixon’s research has been published in highly-ranked transportation and environment journals and her research has also been covered in a wide range of popular media including: CityLab, Politico, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Washington Post, among others. In her commitment to advancing transportation issues and supporting her community, Dr. Nixon has served in a variety of roles including as a Director for the Research and Education Division, of the American Road & Transportation Builders’ Association, Executive Committee member for the Council of University Transportation Centers, an elected member of the California Planning Foundation, and Chair of the Area E Advisory Planning Commission in the Cowichan Valley Regional District. A strong proponent of advancing women in academia, research, and transportation, Dr. Nixon regularly advocates for women’s interests in her professional service roles. She served as Vice President of the Faculty Women’s Interest Group (FWIG) of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning from 2013-2015 and currently serves as a chair of the Transportation Research Board AME20 Committee on Women and Gender in Transportation.