Council of University Transportation Centers Honors Leaders & Students for Advancing Transportation Research

WASHINGTON –  A long-time director of the Texas Transportation Institute, a 40-year public and private sector California transportation leader, an assistant professor at New York University, a program manager at North Carolina A&T State University, and five exceptional students will be honored Jan. 6 by the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) for their outstanding contributions to transportation research and education. The ceremony takes place at the annual CUTC Awards Banquet, held in the Nation’s Capital.
 
Two individuals are being recognized with lifetime awards for their major contributions to research and education throughout their distinguished careers in academia, and the public/private sectors.
 
HNTB Lifetime Achievement Award in Transportation Research & Education:
 

• Dr. Dennis Christiansen, former director of the Texas Transportation Institute

 
Lifetime Achievement Award for Transportation Professional & Public Service:
 

• Will Kempton, Mineta Transportation Institute board member, former director of Caltrans, former chief executive of the Orange County Transportation Authority, and former executive director of Transportation California

 
Cambridge Systematics New Faculty Award: It is presented to tenure-track educators in recognition of outstanding teaching and research contributions. 
 

• Dr. Joseph Chow, assistant professor at New York University

 
Award for Administrative Leadership: Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association, it recognizes individuals in a staff or non-tenure-track faculty position who have made outstanding administrative leadership contributions to the field of transportation. 
 

• Deborah Underwood, program manager, the Center for Advanced Transportation Mobility at North Carolina A&T State University
   

Milton Pikarsky Memorial Award: It is presented to two graduate students in the transportation field for the best doctoral dissertation and M.S. thesis with an emphasis on science and technology. 
 

• Dr. Kun Xie, New York University
• Manxi Wu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
   

Charley V. Wootan Memorial Award: It honors two graduate students in the transportation field for the best doctoral dissertation and M.S. thesis with an emphasis on policy and planning. 
 

• Dr. Annesha Enam, University of Connecticut
• John Helsel, The University of Texas at Austin
   

The Neville A. Parker Award: It recognizes the best non-thesis paper in the field of policy and planning in transportation studies. 
 

• Bill Chapin, Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University

 
Forty-five outstanding students from University Transportation Centers across the country will also be recognized for their achievements and promise of future contributions to the transportation field.

Established in 1978 by the major transportation research centers and institutes in the United States, CUTC provides a forum for universities and learning centers to interact collectively with government and industry. CUTC membership represents over 90 of the nation’s leading university-based transportation research and education programs. Collectively, CUTC members have advanced the state-of-the-art in all modes and disciplines of transportation. In doing so, the membership of CUTC has made significant and lasting contributions to the nation’s mobility, economy, and defense.  Under contract, ARTBA provides management support to CUTC, including day-to-day activities, the annual awards banquet, and social media channels.  Many CUTC members are active leaders in ARTBA’s Research & Education Division.

Additional information can be found at mycutc.com