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

  • Lessons in asset management from the US
    August 14, 2014
    Jason Bittner discusses effective strategies for implementing efficient asset management practices The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) established a performance-based highway programme aimed at improving how Federal transportation funds are allocated. The MAP-21 programme requires state departments of transport (DOT) to develop risk-based transportation asset management plans (TAMP) for roads and bridges. This move has also refocused attention on the need for asset management in t
  • IRF gives “find a way” award to Jamaica
    July 20, 2012
    The Ministry of Transport, Works, and Housing of Jamaica is the first recipient of the "IRF Decade of Action Find A Way” Award, an annual competition instituted by IRF Washington Chairman Abdullah Al-Mogbel to recognises outstanding personal commitment to safer roads by national, regional, or city government. Under the leadership of Dr Omar Davies, the ministry has overseen an ambitious regulatory overhaul and infrastructure improvement program within the framework of the national “Save 300 Lives” campaign
  • Circuit of the Americas Formula for F1 success
    April 4, 2013
    In November 2012, the new Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, hosted the first ever Formula 1 US Grand Prix on a purpose-built track. But, as Jeff Winke and Guy Woodford report, the construction of COTA was just as demanding as competing in an F1 race itself For COTA construction contractor Austin Bridge & Road, L.P., nothing was more vital to the successful building of the 5.5km F1 track than meeting the strict criteria for its asphalt-paved surface. “The amount of stress this pavement will un
  • US$5 billion for US bridges
    July 19, 2024
    More than US$5 billion is being made available to improve US bridges.