Amy PolkAmy Polk was a distinguished member of our Section who received the Young Engineer of the Year Award in 2002 (click here to read her bio for that award). Tragically, Amy died on April 29, 2010 as the result of a pedestrian crash near her office at Citizant in Washington, D.C., where she worked on ITS projects for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Amy left behind her husband, John Robinette, and her two sons, Adam, 8, and Bryan, 5. In addition to her activity with ITE and other professional organizations in the transportation profession, she was a community activist who worked to establish the Seasons of Life Women’s Health and Birth Center in her hometown of Takoma Park after two other birthing centers nearby had been closed. After the sudden and tragic death of Amy her family and friends established a scholarship fund in her memory at the University of Michigan, College of Engineering. The fund will provide financial support to motivated students pursuing a degree in engineering who, like Amy, exhibit both a passion for engineering and an active commitment to their community. See more information on the Amy Polk Memorial Fund at the University of Michigan here: WDCSITE named the Young Engineer of the Year Award for Amy in her memory and as a reminder of the importance of safety in all that we undertake as transportation professionals. |