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Walton Named Chairman of State Transportation Committee
July 2008: Dr. C. Michael Walton, transportation engineering professor, has been elected chairman of the Texas Department of Transportation’s “2030 Committee.” Deirdre Delisi, Chair of the Texas Transportation Commission, appointed the committee to undertake this important oversight role for the needs assessment. The 12-member committee, comprised of experts in business and transportation, is coordinating a comprehensive update of Texas transportation needs through the year 2030. The committee is charged with presenting an estimate of the state’s transportation needs in the context of today’s economic reality and will work to quantify and describe the need for infrastructure investment over the next 20 years and beyond. Walton holds the Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering.
Jirsa Receives National Honor
July 2008: Dr. James Jirsa, civil engineering professor, was named an American Concrete Institute Honorary Member for his outstanding accomplishments in the research areas of design, behavior, and durability of concrete structures including repair and strengthening of structures, and for his leadership in improving the institute¹s international relationships. Jirsa holds the Janet S. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering.
ASME Awards Manuel and Ragan for Journal Paper
July 2008: Dr. Lance Manuel and Patrick Ragan (2007 MS graduate) received a Best Journal Paper Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineer’s Technical Committee on Wind Energy for their paper, “Statistical Extrapolation Methods for Estimating Wind Turbine Extreme Loads” (Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Transactions of the ASME, Vol 130, August 2008). The paper seeks to establish design standards that will allow turbines to safely, efficiently, and economically produce electricity over their planned service lives. Its findings are being used in changes proposed to a wind turbine design standard issued by the International Electrotechnical Commission. Professor Manuel holds the Flour Centennial Teaching Fellowship Engineering.
Bhat Receives Advisor Award
July 2008: Dr. Chandra Bhat, professor of civil engineering, has been selected as the recipient of the CCTexITE Student Chapter Advisor Award for 2008. This award recognizes the outstanding faculty advisor of a student chapter of the Texas Institute of Transportation Engineers (TexITE). “Thank you for your hard work and guiding the future generation of transportation engineers”—Dharmesh M. Shah
Civil Engineering Professor Receives Woman of the Year Award, Students Receive Scholarships from WTS
May 2008: Dr. Kara Kockelman, civil engineering professor, has been selected to receive the 2008 Woman of the Year Award from the Women's Transportation Seminar's (WTS) Heart of Texas Chapter. WTS also awarded scholarships to three of UT Austin's students: undergraduate Charlotte Whitehead, Ph.D. candidate Bin "Brenda" Zhou, and Ph.D. candidate Jennifer Duthie. Founded in 1977, WTS is an international organization dedicated to the professional advancement of women in transportation. Read more about the event.
Civil Engineering Professor Receives National Transportation Award
April 2008: Dr. Randy Machemehl, civil engineering professor, has been selected to receive the 2008 Wilbur S. Smith Award from the Transportation and Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers for his contributions to transportation engineering as a teacher, researcher and research administrator. The Wilbur S. Smith Distinguished Transportation Educator Award recognizes a person who has been an asset to the transportation profession by relating academic studies to the actual practice of transportation. Machemehl also serves as director of the university¹s Center for Transportation Research and holds the Nasser I. Al-Rashid Centennial Professorship in Transportation Engineering.
Zornberg Recognized by IGS
April 2008: Dr. Jorge G. Zornberg, associate professor of Civil Architectural and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, received the Achievement Award from the Mexican Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society.
Bhat Representing UT as Science Fellow
April 2008: Dr. Chandra Bhat, professor of civil engineering, has been selected to represent The University of Texas at Austin for the 2008 Jefferson Science Fellows program.
Civil Engineering Professor Receives National Transportation Educator Award
February 2008: Dr. Chandra Bhat, professor of civil engineering, received the Wilbur S. Smith Distinguished Transportation Educator Award from the Institute of Transportation Engineers for his ³outstanding contribution to the transportation profession by relating academic studies to the actual practice of transportation². Bhat is the Adnan Abou-Ayyash Centennial Professor in Transportation Engineering.
Civil Engineer Named Woman of the Year by Texas Women's Transportation Seminar
February 2008: Professor Kara Kockelman, associate professor of civil engineering, will receive the Woman of the Year Award from the Texas chapter of the Women¹s Transportation Seminar. This award honors a leader in the field of transportation who has advanced the reputation and credibility of women in the field. Kockelman¹s primary research interests include the modeling of urban systems, the economic impacts of transportation policy, and crash occurrence and consequences. She also is the William J. Murray, Jr. Fellow in Engineering No. 2.
Bhat Given TRB's Pyke Johnson Award
November 2007: Dr. Chandra Bhat, a civil engineering professor, along with co-authors Dr. Jessica Guo, a former Ph.D. student, and Rachel Copperman, a current Ph.D. student, received the 2007 Pyke Johnson Award from the Transportation Research Board (TRB) for their outstanding paper in transportation systems planning and the environment. The paper discusses the increasing interdependency of transportation and public health by highlighting the adverse effects of motorized transportation dependency on the environment and public health, and identifies possible benefits of non-motorized transportation, like walking and biking that can increase social equity, improve personal health, and reduce traffic congestion and vehicular emissions. The paper also examines the effects of demographics and urban form on motorized transportation dependency and non-motorized transportation use. Dr. Bhat holds the Adnan Abou-Ayyash Centennial Professorship in Transportation Engineering.