Academic elected as President of Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation

Professor Glenn Lyons has been announced as the new President of The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) for 2024 / 25.

Glenn’s new role was formally announced at CIHT’s AGM on 19 June. At his Presidential Inauguration event at the CIHT’s offices in London, Glenn emphasised ‘the importance for all of us of authentically being sustainable, professional and inclusive’.

Glenn is the Mott MacDonald Professor of Future Mobility at UWE Bristol. Glenn was also formerly the Professor of Transport and Society at the university and was the founder of the Centre for Transport and Society.

The Mott MacDonald appointment bridges between academia and practice and Glenn divides his time between the university and Mott MacDonald (on secondment).

At a time of significance for the transport sector, the position aims to co-develop and extend transport expertise in relation to understanding and responding to a changing and uncertain mobility landscape, which is shaped by technological possibilities and societal needs and preferences.

Professor Glenn Lyons said: “CIHT embraces three core themes - climate action, equality, diversity and inclusion, and professionalism. We will be looking to further expand how we address these in our work and ensure they are at the heart of what we continue to do over the next 12 months.

“Climate change requires us to think and act differently. Technologically tweaking business as usual in our climate action isn’t going to make the changes we need to achieve net-zero. The longer we drag our feet on collective action, the worse things are going to become. I am keen to better understand where CIHT members stand on climate action at both a personal and professional level.”

The next 12 months will see Glenn and CIHT embark on an ambitious programme of activity. This will include more technical outputs including whitepapers, research projects and thought leadership articles, in-person (where relevant) events including roundtables and seminars, an enhanced role in influencing politicians and decision makers and a concerted effort to play back to the members more of what they want.

Next week will see CIHT launch a brand-new project that will link into the Institution’s core themes with an emphasis on climate action.

“I’m proud to be part of a university that has longstanding commitment to developing individuals as emerging professionals and future leaders. And I am passionate about intellectual knowledge achieving impact in society. For an academic to assume the role of CIHT President is a reminder that higher education has an important part to play in the highways and transportation sector.”