Who We Are

HASS COE brings together knowledge across USDOT, academia, and industry on highly automated transportation systems, exploring new technologies and their potential impact on safety. Based in the USDOT Office of Research and Technology, our office and its expert staff complement and augment each USDOT Operating Administration’s own resources, especially where automation systems intersect across multiple modes of transportation. By engaging academia and industry as partners in safety, we inform a safe national framework for highly automated systems, today and tomorrow.

About

Vision

Advance the safe and responsible integration of automation across the transportation ecosystem.

Mission

Ensure federal capacity to review, assess, and validate the safety of automated technologies comprehensively across modes while enabling cross-sector collaboration for a holistic approach to the safe integration of automation in transportation.

Congressional Mandate

In Congressional order H.R. 1865, Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (2019), Congress mandated that HASS COE provide support and partnership to USDOT Operating Administrations in reviewing, assessing, and validating the safety of highly automated systems. Congress directed HASS COE to offer a USDOT-wide expert resource on the safety implications of highly automated systems, integrating expertise in artificial intelligence, computer science, data analytics, machine learning, sensors, and other technologies.

Team

The HASS COE team is made up of leaders from government, academia, and industry who bring extensive, new kinds of expertise to USDOT resources. Our senior-level specialists bring insight and perspective, operating in a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary model across subjects and skillsets.

17 specialists (as of July 2023)
25+ years of experience
78% bring expertise from outside USDOT
89% has master's level education or higher

Leadership

Stephen Zoepf, Ph.D.
Executive Director
stephen.zoepf@dot.gov

Dr. Stephen Zoepf is the Acting Director of the Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence (HASS COE) and Chief Analyst for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He holds a Ph.D., M.Sc. and B.Sc. from MIT and has two decades of experience in transportation and mobility. Stephen held previous roles leading Research at Lacuna Technologies, leading the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford, and as an engineer and product manager at BMW and Ford. He was an ENI Energy Initiative Fellow, a Martin Energy Fellow, and a recipient of the Barry McNutt award from the Transportation Research Board and the Infinite Mile award from MIT. His research has been covered in numerous popular press articles, initiated a Congressional probe, and has been lampooned in The Onion.

Taylor Lochrane, Ph.D., P.E.
Deputy Director and Chief Scientist
taylor.lochrane@dot.gov

Dr. Taylor Lochrane is a respected leader and visionary in the fields of transportation safety, automation, and research. With extensive experience in both the federal and private sectors, he currently holds the esteemed positions of Deputy Director of Science and Technology and Chief Scientist for the USDOT Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence (HASS COE). Dr. Lochrane's expertise lies in strategic and technical leadership, business development, and staff engagement, consistently guiding diverse teams to remarkable achievements. Motivated by a steadfast commitment to advancing the safety of highly automated systems, he has successfully led groundbreaking initiatives, including the development of Cooperative Driving Automation during his tenure at the Federal Highway Administration. Dr. Lochrane's valuable insights as a respected speaker, combined with his strategic vision, technical proficiency, and collaborative mindset, play a vital role in shaping the future of transportation. Dr. Lochrane received a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, M.S. in Civil Engineering and Transportation Systems, and B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Central Florida.

Éva Clinkscale
Deputy Director, Engineering and Innovation
eva.clinkscale@dot.gov

Éva Clinkscale is the Deputy Director of Engineering and Innovation for the USDOT Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence (HASS COE). She builds the collaborations and coalitions central to offering HASS COE as the USDOT-wide expert resource on the safety implications of highly automated systems. Éva is skilled at leading highly technical organizations to manage change, implement new ideas, and prepare for the future using best practices in engineering, program, and organizational management. Her background includes serving as Director of FMCSA’s Office of Analysis, Research and Technology; Deputy Director of NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation; Director with the Secretary of Defense’s F-35 Joint Program Office; and Aeronautical Engineer as an Officer in the U.S. Air Force. Éva received an M.A. in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.