University of Washington Transportation Engineering Educator Honored
With National Award

Contacts:
Alison Premo Black 202-289-4434	Jeff Solsby 202-289-4434	Print this page

Washington, D.C. [Feb. 07, 2008]—Nancy L. Nihan, Ph.D., a long-time professor of transportation engineering at the University of Washington (UW) is the 2007 recipient of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association's (ARTBA) S.S. Steinberg Award.

The award, named after the founding president of the ARTBA Research & Education Division (RED), recognizes an individual who has made remarkable contributions to transportation education. It was presented January 14 during the RED annual meeting, held in Washington, D.C.

Nihan was nominated by industry peers in recognition of her extensive career accomplishments, contributions to the field and academe in the area of transportation engineering, and for her successes as the president of the ARTBA RED division (2004-2005). She is currently a member of the association's Board of Directors.

One of her industry peers said of Nihan, “While her service to ARTBA and to the transportation profession and education community is considerable, it is my opinion that it is equally important to consider her contribution to women in engineering. Dr. Nihan blazed a trail for others to follow.”

In addition to her work at UW, Nihan is the director of Transportation Northwest (TransNow) and director of the UW branch of the Northern Plains-Pacific Northwest (NORPAC) Freight Mobility Center . Her research and instruction emphasis is in the areas of traffic operations, intelligent transportation systems, video imaging, traffic flow models and freight mobility.

In the course of her career, she has authored or co-authored over 80 publications in refereed journals and conference proceedings. She has been personally responsible for $26 million in research since the beginning of her career and has worked to direct fourteen Ph.D. students and 73 masters degree students as an advisor and mentor.

Professor Nihan is a triple-degree graduate of Northwestern University, receiving Ph.D. (1970) and master's (1967) degrees in civil engineering, and a bachelor of science (1964) in industrial engineering. Prior to joining the UW, she was an assistant professor in the systems engineering department at the University of Illinois Chicago Circle from 1969 to 1974.

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Established in 1902, ARTBA represents the U.S. transportation design and construction industry before Congress, the Executive Branch, federal agencies, news media and general public.