Interestingly, I fell into transportation by chance. I was a chemical engineer by training but changed fields when I received a fellowship at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. I realized the importance of transportation to the livelihood of underrepresented communities, and I committed myself to working in this space with the hopes of promoting the voices of the underserved. My journey has taken me to the Urban Institute, and I look forward to leveraging my skills and experience to make transportation better for all people.
As an engineer, community servant, and researcher, Richard Ezike employs his expertise to engage the community on issues related to environmental protection, transportation equity, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) advocacy. He is currently at the Urban Institute as a policy associate in the Research to Action Lab, where he manages a directive to ensure innovative technologies are accessible and inclusive of all communities. He was previously at the Union of Concerned Scientists, where he conducted research and engaged community groups on the potential social and economic impacts of autonomous vehicles, and at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) in the Center for Policy Analysis and Research, where he researched the impacts of transportation on African American communities. He has contributed to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board’s (TPB) Long Range Transportation Plan, has organized and moderated transportation-themed panels at the CBCF’s Annual Legislative Conference, and has been published in media such as the Washington Post, Futurism.com, and the Washington Informer.
Ezike has served on several local transportation advisory groups, including the Riders Advisory Council of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the Access for All and Air and Climate Public Advisory Committees of the TPB. He also serves on regional leadership of the National Society of Black Engineers. Ezike holds a BS in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University and a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor.