Skip to main content

ARTBA announces winners of its student video contest

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has announced the winners of its annual student video contest. A group of 18 high school students from North Carolina and three graduate and post-graduate students from New England were named winners. Sponsored by ARTBA’s Research and Education Division (RED), the contest challenges grade school and post-secondary students to develop a brief video that explores issues relating to America’s transportation network. Students were asked to addres
September 19, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has announced the winners of its annual student video contest. A group of 18 high school students from North Carolina and three graduate and undergraduate students from New England were named winners. Sponsored by ARTBA’s Research and Education Division (RED), the contest challenges grade school and post-secondary students to develop a brief video that explores issues relating to America’s transportation network. Students were asked to address how transportation infrastructure is built and paid for, the impacts of traffic congestion, transportation and urban development plans and public perception of transportation development. Submissions were reviewed by a panel of five ARTBA members.

Category One – Elementary, Middle or High School Students:

“How to Solve Congestion”

Members of the 2012 Summer High School Transportation Institute at
North Carolina A&T State University

Eighteen high school students participating in North Carolina A&T State University’s 2012 “Summer High School Transportation Institute” and led by Deborah Underwood, created an entertaining and upbeat, two-and-half minute video which provided a simple, yet compelling description of the mobility challenges facing drivers on the nation’s roadways. It offered real-world solutions for relieving congestion, such as high occupancy toll lanes, traffic updates via text message and accelerated bridge construction. The group presented the information using multi-modal visuals and interviews with student actors.Category Two – Post-Secondary, College or Graduate Students:

“Modernising Transportation Technology”

David Champoux, graduate student, MA and PhD in transportation engineering, University of Massachusetts-Amherst; Joseph Smith, undergraduate, BA in media communications, University of Southern Maine; and Adrian Wong-Ken, undergraduate, BA in media communications, University of Southern Maine.


One graduate student and two college students from New England created an informative, three-and-half minute video that looked at the congestion caused by outdated traffic signal systems, and presented some innovative ways to make commutes more efficient by integrating existing technology into transportation frameworks. The team interviewed a transportation engineer and public official in the technology-focused video, and profiled specific projects in which the new traffic signal technology was implemented.Honorable Mention in Category Two – Post-Secondary, College or Graduate Students:

“Paying Our Way”

Jamesa Marshall, graduate student, MA in civil engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison


Marshall created a charming, illustrated video which provided an in-depth but straightforward description of an alternative financing pilot project conducted by the Oregon Department of Transportation, in which 299 motorists volunteered to pay what is called a vehicle miles traveled tax, or “VMT” rather than a gas tax at the pump. It addressed the benefits and challenges to nation-wide implementation of such a program using creative drawings and narration.

The year 2012 marks ARTBA’s 110th anniversary of serving as the “consensus voice” of the US transportation design and construction industry.

Related Content

  • ARTBA reveals video competition winners
    February 10, 2020
    ARTBA reveals the second winner in its safety video contest category.
  • ARTBA women leader awards 2013 nominations sought
    April 9, 2013
    The American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) Women Leaders in Transportation Design and Construction (WLTDC) Council is now accepting nominations for its annual awards programme. The programme honours what ARTBA describes as the “extraordinary efforts of individuals, companies and public agencies that have demonstrated leadership and dedication to innovation in the transportation construction field as well as the promotion of women leaders within the industry”. The 2013 awards programme
  • ARTBA awards prizes in student video contest
    September 19, 2014
    The American Road Transportation and Builders Association (ARTBA) has awarded prizes to winners of its student video competition. In Category One for Elementary, Middle or High School Students Ty Miller from Boyertown Area Senior High School was selected as the winner with his video: “Infrastructure: the Unsung Hero”. Miller, a 12th grade student made a thoughtful video underscoring that transportation infrastructure is the catalyst of the US economy. It discusses how the construction of bridges, canals, wa
  • Transportation awards for US experts
    January 25, 2016
    Key awards for thought leadership in transportation have been given out in the US to senior figures in the sector. These were given to three leaders in transportation academia, six students, and one long-time industry advocate. The awards were presented by the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) on the basis of the winners having made outstanding contributions to transportation research and education.