Skip to main content

Honours for US transport researchers and educators

Nine people have been honoured for their outstanding transport research and education work in the United States. The Council of University Transportation Centres (CUTC) presented awards to the students, educators and transport officials at the 15th Annual CUTC Awards Banquet held in Washington D.C.
March 15, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Nine people have been honoured for their outstanding transport research and education work in the United States. The 3942 Council of University Transportation Centres (CUTC) presented awards to the students, educators and transport officials at the 15th Annual CUTC Awards Banquet held in Washington D.C.

Bill Millar, who retired last year as president of the 2523 American Public Transportation Association (APTA), claimed the ‘Lifetime Achievement in Transportation Research & Education Award’, recognising individuals who have made significant contributions throughout their professional lives to transportation research and education by working in government, business or non-governmental organisations.

Dr Daniel Turner, of the University of Alabama, was given an award for ‘Distinguished Contribution to University Transportation and Research’, for his long history of significant and outstanding contributions to university-level transportation education and research.

The ‘CUTC-ARTBA New Faculty Award’, presented to tenure-track educators in recognition of outstanding teaching and research contributions in the transport field, went to Dr Bruce Wang, associate professor at Texas A&M University.

Meanwhile, Dr Vikrant Suhas Vaz, of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Alexander Bigazzi, of Portland State University, claimed the ‘Milton Pikarsky Award’, given to graduate students in the transport field for outstanding doctoral dissertations, Master of Science theses or Master of Science/Master of Engineering reports with an emphasis on science and technology.

The ‘Charlie V. Wootan Award’, given to graduate students in the transport field for outstanding dissertations, theses, or Master of Science/Master of Engineering reports with an emphasis on policy and planning, was claimed by Dr Kari Edison Watkins, of the University of Washington, and Mrs Carey Blackmar Barr, of University of Texas, Austin.

Finally, the ‘Neville A. Parker Award’, for students pursuing Master of Science degrees in the transport field who have written outstanding non-thesis papers or projects around policy and planning, or science and technology, was presented to Mr Michael Litschi, of The Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University, and Mr Rubens Sylvain, of City College at The City University of New York.

The CUTC was established in 1979 by the major transport research centres and institutes in the United States. Its membership represents over 80 of the nation's leading university-based transport research and education programmes, whose individuals have been credited with making significant and lasting contributions to the nation's mobility, economy, and defence.

Related Content

  • ARTBA sees growth for US transport construction
    December 5, 2017
    Steady growth in the US market for transport infrastructure construction in 2018. This prediction comes from a new report by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The report suggests that the US transportation infrastructure market will rebound slightly next year, following a 2.8% drop in 2017.
  • Upcoming transport research event in Poland
    February 29, 2016
    Plans are well in hand for the sixth edition of the Transport Research Arena - TRA2016 conference. This will take place in Polish capital Warsaw and follow successful events held previously in Göteborg, Ljubljana, Brussels, Athens and Paris in. This cycle of TRA conferences is the most important event in Europe that addresses scientific research on surface and water transport.
  • Road safety concepts aimed at developing nations
    October 31, 2012
    In this second of a two-part interview, Rohit Baluja introduces the work of the Delhi-based Institute of Road Traffic Education that he established in 1991 by way of practical response to the particular challenges of road safety in a developing world context Despite the alarming trends outlined in the first part of this article (World Highways: Vol.21, Issue No.6), Rohit Baluja remains optimistic that, if only the proper foundations of traffic management systems can be established, there is no reason why dr
  • US capital Washington DC is the country’s congestion capital
    February 5, 2013
    A study by the Texas Transportation Institute has revealed that US capital Washington DC now suffers the heaviest congestion of any city in the country. Los Angeles in California and Houston in Texas have both been regarded as amongst the worst in the US in this regard, suffering long traffic delays due to jams, but the report shows Washington DC to be worse still. The Texas Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report paints a damning portrait of congestion in the US capital. The American Road & Transp