The Eno Center for Transportation has selected Glendedora Dolce as our 2023 Thomas J. O’Bryant Fellow. The fellowship is designed to provide a professional development opportunity for aspiring transportation specialists.

Glendedora is currently a Public Health PhD student with a concentration in Health and Public Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is also an MPH graduate from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University with a concentration in Environmental Health. She specializes in injury prevention as well as traffic safety and told Eno more about how she entered the transportation sector.

How did you become interested in transportation?

“I would say my introduction to transportation was pretty spontaneous for me, because within my Master’s of public health program that I was in, I was more focused on environmental health and occupational health, and I was trying to find a practicum internship one summer and couldn’t find one.”

“I decided to volunteer for a local health department in my community. And then this amazing woman introduced me to transportation safety, and she also inspired me to become a child passenger safety technician. And from then on, transportation intrigued me, and I never looked back since.”

What did she say?

“She helped me to recognize that transportation modes, such as motor vehicle crashes, was one of the leading causes of death within our nation. So that data really hit me. I didn’t know that crashes had such impact on our public health. So that really inspired me to look into it more and help in any way that I could.”

What is your work like in school?

 “Well, currently I’m wrapping up my first year within my PhD program, so I’ve been more focused on coursework and learning about theory and practice in relation to health and public policy. But in the meanwhile, I’ve been volunteering within my community, Baltimore City, as a child passenger safety technician, which has given me the opportunity to bridge the gap between research and practice by educating parents and caregivers on best practices and policies in regards to child passenger safety. So that has been a pretty rewarding experience.”

 I am passionate about the intersection between transportation, public health, and equity. I know that’s a big intersection, but they all fall together. I would say transportation is a social determinant of health.

Glendedora Dolce

What is something you’re passionate about within the transportation industry?

 “I am passionate about the intersection between transportation, public health, and equity. I know that’s a big intersection, but they all fall together. I would say transportation is a social determinant of health.”

“We rely on transportation for us to get from Point A to Point B, so I’m just passionate about helping people get from Point A to Point B safely. And I would say injury disparities exist among historically marginalized communities in regards to car crashes, for instance. So I’m really passionate about combating those injury disparities and making sure that transportation is not only safe, but equitable for all.”

 What made you apply for the fellowship?

“I learned about Eno during my prior fellowship at NHTSA. So, Eno has been on my radar since, and transportation policy is currently my research focus within my PhD program. So I was seeking opportunities that would allow me to attain more in-depth knowledge in regards to transportation research and practice. With Eno being a leader within national transportation policy, I was eager to apply for this position and extremely grateful to be selected as a fellow.”

What are you looking forward to about the fellowship and your future career?

 “I would say I’m looking forward to learning more about transportation policy and critical issues within the transportation industry at a high level scale and also looking forward to being engaged in the process of bridging the gap between research and policy. I’m excited about expanding my knowledge on all transportation modes because most of my experience has been within the highways and street sectors, like, more focused on motor vehicle safety. So I’m excited to just get out of my comfort zone and learn more. And I believe that my fellowship experience at Eno will be pivotal in achieving my career aspiration of advancing and shaping transportation policies through scholarly research.”

The Thomas J. O’Bryant Fellowship provides a high-quality professional development opportunity for aspiring transportation specialists. Each summer, Eno selects a Fellow who will gain in-depth knowledge of transportation policy and practice under the guidance of Eno staff.

Along with a successful career in the financial industry, transportation policy was a large part of Thomas O’Bryant’s life and legacy.

Tom was a driving force behind Eno’s Future Leaders Development Conference and devoted a significant amount of his time to serving Eno’s transportation leadership and policy research efforts. He was a member of Eno’s Board of Directors for 12 years, spending nine of those years as treasurer, and served on the Eno Board of Advisors and Regents.