Sarah M. Kaufman is the Director of the New York University Rudin Center for Transportation and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Public Service, where she researches, advocates for, and educates about innovative transportation policy, planning, and technologies.

Her research explores the critical intersections of transportation with sustainability, equity, and technology. Through pioneering work in climate adaptation, urban mobility, and technological innovation, she develops projects addressing contemporary transportation challenges, including adapting to extreme weather impacts, developing an autonomous vehicles policy framework for U.S. cities, exploring the Pink Tax on Transportation and its effects on women's travel patterns, reimagining paratransit for seniors and residents with disabilities, and leading the Emerging Leaders in Transportation program to foster innovation in transportation planning and policymaking.

Currently, Kaufman is leading the "Bus of the Future" project in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. This initiative convenes stakeholders to identify technologies and policies that will make buses in the region safer, smarter, more efficient, and more appealing to riders.

In addition to her academic and research work, Kaufman serves on the Board of Commissioners of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.

Prior to NYU Wagner, Kaufman spent nearly five years at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where she led the open data program, created a conference connecting MTA with software developers, and helped develop the agency's social media strategy.

She has been honored with the Transportation Power 100 Award (2021-2024), a Responsible 100 Award in 2018, and a Tech Power 50 Award in 2019 by City & State New York. Her research and insights have been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NBC, CNN, Curbed, Vital City, Urban Omnibus, and Forbes.com.

Kaufman holds a Master of Urban Planning from NYU Wagner. She completed her BA at Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in science writing with a concentration in computer science.

Image of Sarah M. Kaufman © Christian Delfino