Skip to main content

World Highways contributor Max Lay wins Peter Nicol Russell award

The Institution of Engineers Australia has awarded World Highways contributor Dr Maxwell Lay the prestigious Peter Nicol Russell medal for his contribution to science and engineering. According to the citation, the medal is the most prestigious award made by the institution. “The recipient represents the technical, professional and community service standards of engineering to the profession and the community.” May received degrees at Melbourne University and the US university Lehigh in Pennsylvania.
December 9, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
The Institution of Engineers Australia has awarded 3260 World Highways contributor %$Linker: 2 Internal <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 2 1845 0 oLinkExternal Dr Maxwell Lay Visit &quot;Road user charging the way to highway investment&quot; page false /categories/traffic-focus-highway-management/features/road-user-charging-the-way-to-highway-investment/ false false%> the prestigious Peter Nicol Russell medal for his contribution to science and engineering.

According to the citation, the medal is the most prestigious award made by the institution. “The recipient represents the technical, professional and community service standards of engineering to the profession and the community.”  

May received degrees at Melbourne University and the US university Lehigh in Pennsylvania. He was appointed executive director of the Australian Road Research Board in 1975. After 13 years he moved to 5155 VicRoads, the Victoria state organisation for planning, developing and managing arterial roads. Among his responsibilities at VicRoads was the Eastern Freeway and Western Ring Road. He later joined consulting engineering firm SKM in Melbourne.

Lay was a founding director of toll road company ConnectEast that is responsible for the finance, design, construction and operation of Melbourne's 39km EastLink tollway project. In late 2011, the company was sold to Horizon Roads for around US$1.83 billion (AUS$2.2 billion).

He also is an advisor to the non-political industry association Roads Australia, a professorial fellow at Melbourne University and was president of the Australian Automobile Association from 2000-2002.

Sir Peter Nicol Russell was a Sydney industrialist during the last half of the 19th century.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Lombardini boosts KDi engine output towards 100kW
    April 18, 2013
    Lombardini is moving ever closer to offering a 100kW engine as part of its strategy to grow the Kohler KDi series above the 56kW maximum output that currently sits at the top of its range. “We have developed a 3.4litre, four-cylinder engine that will take us to 100kW,” said Lombardini’s marketing and communications manager Nino De Giglio. “The engine is currently being tested and will go into production towards the end of 2014.” De Giglio said the arrival of the new 100kW engine, with its 480Nm of torque, c
  • Nice in 2018: The Pavement Preservation & Recycling Summit (PPRS)
    November 17, 2017
    Siobhan McKelvey, president of the Paris-based International Bitumen Emulsion Federation (IBEF), explains the importance for attending next year’s Pavement Preservation & Recycling Summit. The event will be held in Nice in southern France from 26-28 March at the Nice Acropolis. One of the highlights for me that is provided by the PPRS platform is the opportunity to exchange on communication experiences throughout the world and how the challenges of promoting the role of a good road network are met.
  • Atlas and Mantsinen announce strategic partnership
    January 6, 2017
    German company Atlas Maschinen and Finnish group Mantsinen have formed a new strategic partnership that will include technical cooperation covering the manufacturing of hydraulic material-handling machines and R&D. Atlas has its head office in Delmenhorst and plants in Ganderkesee and Vechta, while Mantsinen’s principal place of business is in Ylämylly, Finland.
  • Atlas and Mantsinen announce strategic partnership
    April 14, 2013
    German company Atlas Maschinen and Finnish group Mantsinen have formed a new strategic partnership that will include technical cooperation covering the manufacturing of hydraulic material-handling machines and R&D. Atlas has its head office in Delmenhorst and plants in Ganderkesee and Vechta, while Mantsinen’s principal place of business is in Ylämylly, Finland.