Paul J. Larrousse Memorial Scholarship
About Paul Larrousse:
Paul’s entire career was devoted to public transportation. He served as director of the National Transit Institute (NTI) since 2000. He also chaired APTA’s Workforce Development Committee and was a member of the APTA Board of Directors.
Paul’s unwavering passion for the industry and his steadfast commitment to the advancement of young professionals, and the entire workforce, will be a hallmark of his life. The thousands of students he taught at Rutgers University and at NTI will be his lasting legacy.
As Director of NTI in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, Paul was designated as a faculty fellow in 2003 and taught the graduate Transit Management and Planning course and the Transit Planning Studio. He planned to retire this Spring.
Prior to NTI, Paul served as the general manager of Madison Metro in Wisconsin. He also served as the initial general manager and led the start-up of the Waukesha Metro system in Wisconsin. He held management positions at the Wayne County (MI) paratransit system, the York (PA) transit system and was the transit planner for Middlesex County.
He received a bachelor’s degree in geography and urban studies from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH and a master’s degree in transportation planning and engineering from New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering.
The Paul J. Larrousse Scholarship:
With over 40 years of service to our industry, Paul always sought to have a diverse workforce. In his own case, as with many LGBTQ folks of his generation, he had a longer journey to self-acceptance. Upon accepting himself, there was uncertainty about how or where someone identifying as LGBTQ fit into the transit industry. Paul sought to be his true self and made it his mission to advance acceptance of everyone in the industry to attract the best and brightest talent to the workforce.
Paul was instrumental in leading the charge for full inclusion of the LGBTQ community in both his work at Rutgers and via many leadership positions within APTA. This scholarship will honor the work Paul did for both the public transit industry and for the LGBTQ community. This scholarship will honor Paul’s legacy and the path that he forged so that others might follow.