HighLight Heading
May 2002
CTS honors transportation leaders at annual meeting
Richard McNamara, Robert Johns, Gary Eikaas
Jean Smith
Robert Johns, Mary Hill Smith, Doug Weiszhaar
Dick Braun, Panos Michalopoulos, and Robert Johns
Robert Johns, Dick Hansen, Fred Corrigan
Robert Johns, Praveena Pidaparthi, Frank Douma
Robert Johns, Mazen Hasna, Mohamed-Slim Alouini
Front row: John Gulliver, Robert Johns, Wayne Gjerde, Darlene Gorrill, Karen Billiar. Middle row: Roger Olson, Micky Ruiz. Back row: Kent Peterson, Dan Krivit, Mike Jorgenson
CTS presented the following awards at its annual meeting April
16.
* William K. Smith Distinguished Service Award: New this year,
the award is presented to a professional in the freight transportation
and logistics field for leadership and contributions to the education
of future leaders in private sector freight transportation. The
award is named in honor of William K. Smith, who served on the
initial committee to establish CTS and on many CTS research and
education councils until his death in 2001.
Smith's widow, Jean, prefaced the award presentation with a few words of remembrance. "I always suspected Bill was a closet academic," she said. She also thanked CTS for the honor, adding that the Smith family "will treasure it."
Richard "Pinky" McNamara, a University of Minnesota
regent, then presented the inaugural award to Gary Eikaas, vice
president of Dedicated Logistics Inc. Like Smith, Eikaas served
on the initial committee to establish CTS. "Bill Smith was
a giant in the industry," Eikaas said. "This award is
really special to me."
* Distinguished Public Leadership Award: CTS Executive Committee
member Doug Weiszhaar, deputy commissioner of Mn/DOT, presented
the award to Mary Hill Smith, member of the Metropolitan Council
since 1993. "I'm very pleased to receive the award,"
Smith said. "As a public servant, you never expect awards.
You do it as a privilege."
* Richard P. Braun Distinguished Service Award: Richard P. Braun, founding director of CTS, presented the award named in his honor to Professor Panos G. Michalopoulos of the Department of Civil Engineering. Michalopoulos is the inventor of AutoscopeTM--a traffic detection technology sponsored by CTS and Mn/DOT and patented by the University. Autoscope royalties have generated over $2 million to date for the University. Michalopoulos, one of the authors of a 1984 report that recommended creation of a transportation center at the University, said "we've come a long way since then, thanks to CTS."
* Ray L. Lappegaard Distinguished Service Award: CTS Executive Committee member Fred Corrigan, executive vice president of the Transportation Alliance, presented the award to Dick Hansen, public works director/highway engineer with St. Louis County's Public Works Department. Hansen thanked his board of commissioners and his staff for making it possible for him to participate in the "extracurricular activities" for which he wasbeing recognized. "This is truly something I'll never forget."
* Matthew J. Huber Award for Excellence in Transportation Research and Education: Robert Johns, CTS director, presented the awards to two students: Mazen O. Hasna, a doctoral student in the DepartmentofElectricalEngineering advised by Assistant Professor Mohamed-Slim Alouini, and Praveena Pidaparthi, a graduate student in urban and regional planning at the Humphrey Institute advised by Assistant Professor Kevin Krizek. Hasna said he has always believed in peaceful applications of technology, of which ITS is an example. Pidaparthi noted she valued her experience working at CTS and the Humphrey Institute.
* CTS Research Partnership Award: This year's project recipient is "Influence of Roofing Shingles on Asphalt Concrete Mixture Properties." The project began when University researchers conducted a laboratory study to establish the feasibility of using shingles in pavements. Mn/DOT constructed test sections and later incorporated the use of scrap shingles into its specifications. The early work was funded by Mn/DOT and a grant from the Office of Waste Management. Following this work an implementation and outreach effort was initiated involving Mn/DOT, the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (OEA), and consultants. Also, OEA gave a grant to Bituminous Roadways Inc., an asphalt manufacturer, to develop a refined processing system to increase production and efficiency.
In accepting the award, Mn/DOT's Roger Olson noted that shingle material is now being used on state and county road projects such as a shoulder on TH 169. "We're pretty much at the point where we can use all the product that is available," he said. John Gulliver, professor and head of the Department of Civil Engineering, representing former CE professor Dave Newcomb, added that this project is "the type of thing possible when you bring research and implementation together." Project partners included:
- Roger Olson, Mn/DOT Office of Materials and Road Research
- Micky Ruiz, Jim Klessig, and Karen Billiar, Mn/DOT Office of Research Services
- David Newcomb, National Asphalt Pavement Association (formerly of the University of Minnesota Department of Civil Engineering)
- Dan Krivit, Dan Krivit and Associates
- Don Kyser and Wayne Gjerde, Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance
- Kent Peterson and Mike Jorgenson, Bituminous Roadways Inc.
- Darlene Gorrill, communications and publications consultant