Auburn researchers shine at national transportation conference
Published: Jan 29, 2025 3:30 PM
By Dustin Duncan
Auburn University Transportation Research Institute (AUTRI) made a strong impression at the 104th Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting, held Jan. 5-9 in Washington, D.C.
The conference, which attracts thousands of transportation professionals, featured more than 170 committees and included sessions and workshops addressing topics critical to policymakers, practitioners, industry leaders and academics. This year’s program included more than 6,000 technical papers, with roughly half presented at the meeting.
AUTRI faculty, staff and students participated in 19 lectern sessions, 21 poster sessions and several workshops. Their contributions spanned diverse topics such as traffic operations, pavements, public transportation, safety, pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure and emergency management.
AUTRI researchers earned high honors for their work. Assistant Research Professors Ernest Tufuor and Adrian Cottam and AUTRI Director Larry Rilett presented a technical paper to the Highway Traffic Monitoring Committee, named the 2025 Best Overall Paper. Cottam also collaborated with former students to win the 2025 Young Professional/Student Best Paper Award from the Freeway Operations Committee.
“AUTRI's performance at the TRB Annual Meeting highlights our exceptional research and outreach,” Rilett said. “Our faculty, staff and students consistently make significant contributions to the field of transportation, and I'm incredibly proud of their achievements."
Huaguo Zhou, the Elton Z. and Lois G. Huff Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, had a technical paper recognized as a high-value project by the Standing Committee on Research Innovation Implementation Management. The four American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Research Advisory Committee regions voted on the recognition.
Two AUTRI graduate research assistants, Corey McDaniels and Christopher Gerber, received the 2024 Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship from the Federal Highway Administration. The pair represented AUTRI during a recognition session at the TRB meeting.
Auburn’s Student Institute of Transportation Engineers team was shortlisted for the 2025 Traffic Control Device Student Challenge for the second consecutive year, hosted by the American Traffic Safety Services Association and the National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board. Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu, 334-844-2326
The conference, which attracts thousands of transportation professionals, featured more than 170 committees and included sessions and workshops addressing topics critical to policymakers, practitioners, industry leaders and academics. This year’s program included more than 6,000 technical papers, with roughly half presented at the meeting.
AUTRI faculty, staff and students participated in 19 lectern sessions, 21 poster sessions and several workshops. Their contributions spanned diverse topics such as traffic operations, pavements, public transportation, safety, pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure and emergency management.
AUTRI researchers earned high honors for their work. Assistant Research Professors Ernest Tufuor and Adrian Cottam and AUTRI Director Larry Rilett presented a technical paper to the Highway Traffic Monitoring Committee, named the 2025 Best Overall Paper. Cottam also collaborated with former students to win the 2025 Young Professional/Student Best Paper Award from the Freeway Operations Committee.
“AUTRI's performance at the TRB Annual Meeting highlights our exceptional research and outreach,” Rilett said. “Our faculty, staff and students consistently make significant contributions to the field of transportation, and I'm incredibly proud of their achievements."
Huaguo Zhou, the Elton Z. and Lois G. Huff Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, had a technical paper recognized as a high-value project by the Standing Committee on Research Innovation Implementation Management. The four American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Research Advisory Committee regions voted on the recognition.
Two AUTRI graduate research assistants, Corey McDaniels and Christopher Gerber, received the 2024 Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship from the Federal Highway Administration. The pair represented AUTRI during a recognition session at the TRB meeting.
Auburn’s Student Institute of Transportation Engineers team was shortlisted for the 2025 Traffic Control Device Student Challenge for the second consecutive year, hosted by the American Traffic Safety Services Association and the National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board. Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu, 334-844-2326
Two AUTRI graduate research assistants, Corey McDaniels (right) and Christopher Gerber (left), received the 2024 Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship from the Federal Highway Administration. The pair represented AUTRI during a recognition session at the TRB meeting.
