The Richard P. Braun Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to a transportation professional for outstanding leadership in research and innovation. It is named after founding CTS director Richard Braun for his leadership and contribution to research, and as a champion of transportation innovation.
2025 Recipient
This year's award was presented to Mihai Marasteanu, professor and director of undergraduate studies for the University of Minnesota’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering.
During his 25 years at the U, Marasteanu has focused his research on investigating and improving the performance of asphalt binders, mixtures, and emulsions, especially in low temperature environments. With colleagues from other universities, he has led two major national pooled-fund studies on low-temperature cracking in asphalt pavements. The results were a significant step toward using fracture tests and mechanics to select crack-resistant asphalt materials and to better predict pavement performance.
Past Recipients
2024
Jim Foldesi, Public Works Director/Highway Engineer, St. Louis County
2023
Thomas Fisher, Director and Professor, Minnesota Design Center, College of Design, University of Minnesota
2022
Laurie McGinnis, Former Director, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
2021
John Levin, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Metro Transit
2020
Carol Shield, College of Science and Engineering Distinguished Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota
2019
Gary Davis, Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota
2018
Greg Lindsey, Professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
2017
Mary Vogel, Co-director, Center for Changing Landscapes, University of Minnesota
2016
John Gulliver, Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota
2015
Timothy Henkel, Assistant Commissioner and Director of the Modal Planning and Program Management Division, Minnesota Department of Transportation
2014
Yingling Fan, McKnight Land-Grant Assistant Professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
2013
Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
2012
Robert C. Johns, Director, U.S. Department of Transportation's John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
2011
David Levinson, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
2010
Lee Munnich, Director, State and Local Policy Program and the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
2009
Gene Skok, Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
2008
Randy Halvorson, Senior Associate, Cambridge Systematics
2007
Max Donath, Director, Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute
2006
Kathryn Swanson, Director, Department of Public Safety
2005
Catherine French, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Metropolitan State University
2004
John S. Adams, Professor and Chair, Department of Geography; faculty, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
2003
Robert Benke, Principal engineer, Community Resource Partnerships
2002
Panos Michalopoulos, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
2001
Barbara Lukermann, Senior fellow, Humphrey School of Public Affairs; senior fellow, Center for Urban andRegional Affairs
2000
David Kittelson, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering: co-director, Center for Diesel Research
1999
James Denn, Former commissioner, Mn/DOT
1998
Fred Beier, Executive Committee chair
1997
Ted Galambos, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
1996
Roger Appeldorn
1995
Miles Kersten, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering