Lauren N. McCarthy is the Senior Director of Research and Impact at the Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC). In her role, Lauren leads strategic planning for the organization and oversees and supports various programs, such as the Clean Mobility Options Program, FHWA's Center for Excellence on New Mobility, Automated Vehicles Project, and DOT's Thriving Communities Program.

In addition to her professional role, Lauren is pursuing her Ph.D. at the Schar School for Policy and Government. Her doctoral research explores innovation and the impact of new mobility technologies, with a particular emphasis on micromobility.

Before joining the SUMC team, Lauren held the positions of Program Manager and Senior Researcher at the Center for Transportation Public-Private Partnership Policy at George Mason University. She was selected as a Google Public Policy Fellow in 2019. Lauren has consulted for organizations such as UNECE, presented at many academic conferences, such as TRB and WCTRS, and has published work in various outlets, including Transport Policy and Planetizen. She received a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.A. in Geography from the State University of New York at Buffalo.