Dr. Laurence R. Rilett is the Ginn Distinguished Professor and Director of the Auburn University Transportation Research Institute. He also serves as Director of the Alabama Local Technical Assistance Program, where he oversees an extensive outreach program of workshops and seminars.

Prior to joining Auburn University in 2021, Dr. Rilett was a Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Director of the USDOT-sponsored Mid-America Transportation Center. His research focuses on transportation systems analysis, with an emphasis on multimodal modeling, safety, reliability, resiliency and equity.

He has served as principal or co-principal investigator on more than 55 projects, securing over $65 million in funding. Dr. Rilett has authored more than 250 publications, including over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 100 conference papers, along with numerous reports, editorials and reviews.

He has received several prestigious awards, including the 2021 ASCE Frank M. Masters Transportation Engineering Award, the 2022 S.S. Steinberg Outstanding Educator Award from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association and the 2025 CUTC Lifetime Achievement Award for Transportation Professional and Public Service.