Navigating Transportation and Environmental Planning

Every year, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) plans hundreds of projects across the state. Behind the scenes, teams of archeologists, historians, environmental scientists, and engineers work together to address the needs of an ever-growing population. Join us for this presentation to learn how staff work to protect and preserve our natural and cultural resources while helping TxDOT deliver its mission of Connecting You with Texas.

Our speaker is Lauren Young, a native Texan and lifelong science nerd. While most kids dream of growing up to be a teacher, doctor, or superhero, Lauren chose the path of marine biology (crediting annual family trips to the Texas coast, Jacques Cousteau, Sylvia Earle, and The Little Mermaid). She received her M.S. in Biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where she developed a lifelong obsession with Tex-Mex cuisine. Her 16 years of state service include TxDOT and TCEQ. She has been involved with the Texas Master Naturalist Program since 2015 and has logged over 2,000 hours of volunteer service. In her free time, she enjoys finding any excuse to be outdoors. She is enamored with bats, turtles, dogs, hippos, dark chocolate, music, and dad jokes.