Dr. C. Michael Walton, professor of civil engineering and the E.H. Cockrell Centennial chair in engineering at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, has been elected 2006-07 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) chairman. Walton's election was announced during the association's annual meeting, held Sept. 26-29 in San Diego.
For more than 35 years, Walton has been a leader in transportation policy and engineering analysis. He has written or contributed to more than 250 publications in the areas of intelligent transportation systems, freight transport and transportation engineering, planning, policy and economics. He has been a senior editor or contributing author for a variety of technical reference books and manuals, and served as a member of the editorial board for several international journals. Currently, Walton has research or consulting relationships with approximately 30 states.
Walton's ARTBA leadership positions include: senior vice chairman, first vice chairman and western region vice chairman. He is a key player in helping develop the association's legislative and regulatory policy positions on federal transportation development issues.
Walton is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He is a founding member of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America and a past chairman. He also is past chair and member of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee.
Walton has received many national honors and awards during his distinguished career. In 2004, he was named one of "America's 'Top 100' Private Sector Transportation Design and Construction Officials of the 20th Century" by the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation. He is a recent recipient of the Council of University Transportation Centers award for distinguished contribution to university transportation education and research.
In 2000, Walton was selected by a board comprised of the president and executive director of each of the three sponsoring organizations--American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, TRB and ARTBA--to receive the Bartlett Award. The prestigious award is considered to be among the highest honors in the highway transportation profession. He also received an Outstanding Projects and Leaders award from the American Society of Civil Engineers to recognize and honor lifetime excellence in furthering civil engineering education.
