Transportation Services employee earns national award for professionals under 40

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa -- Cecily Zhu, sustainable transportation program manager for Transportation Services, earned recognition at the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) 2023 40 Under 40 Awards on Nov. 2 in Los Angeles, California. The association awards this distinction to standout Transportation Demand Management (TDM) professionals under the age of 40 annually. Recipients include industry leaders working to address mobility and transportation challenges at the community, state, and national levels.

“This year’s awardees are an outstanding group of leaders that I am truly proud to recognize,” said David McMaster, President of the Association for Commuter Transportation. “Their commitment to expanding access to transportation options is commendable, and I am confident that their communities will continue to benefit greatly from their work.”

Since 2015, Zhu has led Transportation Services’ efforts to reduce single-occupancy vehicle travel, with a focus on biking, car and ride sharing, access to transit, and increasing the number of fuel-efficient vehicles in Penn State’s fleet. She has worked with local municipalities to expand access to the successful Spin E-Bike share program, created the Bike Den, a free DIY bike repair and educational space at the West Deck, and helped to move Penn State from bronze to gold-level status as a Bicycle Friendly University with The League of American Bicyclists.

“Cecily has made significant contributions toward Transportation Services’ and Penn State’s sustainability goals and has championed improved and increased access to sustainable transportation for students, faculty, and staff, both on and off campus,” said Rick Ward, interim director of Transportation Services. “Her work, especially related to expanding Penn State’s bike program, has been exemplary, and I’m excited to see it recognized by a national organization like ACT.”

Zhu has a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy, planning, and law from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Before Penn State, she worked as a transportation policy and planning fellow for the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group and served as a corporate sustainability fellow with Highmark.