Civil and environmental engineering professor named Institute of Transportation Engineers Fellow
Published: Nov 10, 2025 2:00 PM
By Olivia Ballard
Rod Turochy, associate director of outreach for the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute (AUTRI) and James Madison Hunnicutt Professor of traffic engineering, was named a Fellow in the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).
ITE is a network of transportation professionals and students that provides opportunities to advance skills, expand knowledge, and build professional connections. The ITE Fellow is the highest level of membership, awarded to individuals who demonstrate active commitment and significant contributions to ITE and the transportation profession.
Turochy has served on multiple committees and as an elected officer within ITE since 1998, including a term as president of the Alabama Section in 2016 and a nine-year tenure on the Executive Committee of ITE’s Education Council. Additionally, Turochy served as the faculty advisor for Auburn’s ITE student chapter from 2003 to 2020.
“Being nominated and approved for fellow status is a meaningful honor,” Turochy said. “Being named a Fellow represents recognition from my peers that my work has made a lasting impact on both the transportation profession and society.”
Turochy, alongside Larry Rilett, director of AUTRI, is collaborating with local housing authorities and the nonprofit Fifty Fund to assess and improve pedestrian infrastructure across Alabama’s Black Belt. Funded through a $1.3 million U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant, the project combines community engagement with engineering designs to create “shovel-ready” plans that help local leaders secure construction funding to improve pedestrian safety in underserved communities. The initiative reflects Turochy’s ongoing commitment to advancing real-world transportation solutions.
Additionally, Turochy, through the Alabama Transportation Assistance Program (ATAP), partnered with the city of Selma to address safety concerns across the city, with a particular focus along the Highland Avenue corridor, which has a pedestrian crash rate nearly three times the state average.
During 2025, Turochy led an outreach effort to train about 1,100 maintenance employees with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) on proper traffic control for work zones. This effort has reached over 25% of ALDOT’s workforce and helps to elevate ALDOT as a leader in work zone safety.
Turochy joined Auburn’s civil engineering program in 2001 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 2007 and named the James M. Hunnicutt Associate Professor in 2015.
Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu, 334-844-2326
Rod Turochy, associate director of outreach for the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute and James Madison Hunnicutt Professor of traffic engineering, was named a Fellow of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
