This week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Judd Herzer, mobility director at Michigan State University, to Michigan’s Council on Future Mobility and Electrification, or CFME. The CFME serves as an advisor to the governor, state government departments and the Legislature, providing annual recommendations on changes in state policy to ensure Michigan continues to be a world leader of future transportation solutions around mobility and electrification.
Herzer succeeds MSU Distinguished Professor Emeritus Satish Udpa, who also previously served as acting president of MSU and former dean of the College of Engineering. Udpa resigned late last year after ten years of service on the state’s mobility advisory council.
“I would like to thank Dr. Udpa for his many years of service to the state of Michigan and MSU through his efforts on this council,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “While Satish leaves very large shoes to fill, Judd is a great choice to continue the good work of bold Spartan representation in Michigan’s mobility ecosystem.”
In this role, Herzer will represent MSU, which was recently recognized by the state as an official Michigan Mobility Testing Asset, due to its status as a premier advanced mobility and transportation sciences research institution.
“MSU is proud to be a contributor at the forefront of mobility and electrification solutions for the state,” said John Papapolymerou, interim dean of the College of Engineering. “We are grateful that Judd Herzer will continue to build upon the strong foundation that Satish Udpa created by opening doors through collaborations between academia, industry and policymakers while serving on the CFME.”
With MSU Mobility, Herzer has focused on strengthening MSU’s mobility research portfolio and coordinating across the university a unique, multidisciplinary approach to the future of mobility. Herzer holds a bachelor of arts in political science and economics and a Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University. Before joining MSU in 2023, he was the director of strategic policy at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and served as the infrastructure and technology advisor in the Executive Office of Gov. Whitmer.
“I am humbled by this appointment and grateful for the governor’s confidence,” said Herzer. “Being a part of the council is an incredible opportunity to combine my public policy background and the latest advancements in mobility developed by Spartan researchers to help drive Michigan’s mobility future forward.”
