Transportation Institute Holds 10th Annual Awards Banquet

Nearly 150 people gathered at the Ramada Plaza Suites Oct. 11, for the 10th Annual Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute Awards Banquet. Honorees were Dale Anderson and Senator Kent Conrad.

Anderson received the Institute's first Chairman's award in recognition of his contributions to transportation research, education, and outreach at NDSU, and contributions to the viability of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute.

Anderson was director of the UGPTI from 1972-1974 and is credited with establishing a stable base of staff and funding for the program. He served on the UGPTI advisory council representing the Greater North Dakota Association from 1997 to 2004. He served as chair of the council from 2000 to 2002.

"The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute has become a very dear and valuable part of North Dakota," Anderson said. He described the tenuous nature of the Institute in its early years and complimented subsequent NDSU and Institute administrators for continuing to build and expand the Institute. "Research, education and information continue to be the foundation of your strong programs."

Gene Griffin, Senator Conrad, Dale Anderson, Dave Sprynczynatyk

Senator Conrad received the Institute's highest award, the John M. Agrey Award, in recognition of his service to transportation in the region. The award is named for John M. Agrey, a pioneering innovator and advocate for transportation in North Dakota.

"Transportation is one of the keys to the economic future of our state," Conrad said. "This award means a great deal to me." In introducing Conrad, NDSU President Joseph Chapman recognized his efforts in developing the recently-passed transportation bill. The bill includes more than $8 million in funding for the Transportation Institute. The bulk of those funds will support the work of the Institute's Small Urban & Rural Transit Center and establish a rural transportation safety center.

While the legislation provides funding for key transportation projects across the state, Chapman said he was particularly pleased that it included funding to renovate 12th Ave. N. in Fargo, a project that will provide an attractive new entrance to campus.

Dave Sprynczynatyk, director of the NDDOT is chair of the UGPTI's advisory council. In his opening remarks, Sprynczynatyk said his colleagues around the country are quite envious of his department's relationship with NDSU and the Transportation Institute. "We are able to have the Institute's staff undertake a number of special studies we're not able to do internally. And perhaps more importantly, we're able to work with the Institute to attract young people into the transportation industry."

Scholarship winners were also recognized at the banquet. The $1,500 scholarships are funded by the Mountain-Plains Consortium through a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Transportation Engineering Scholarship is awarded to students to recognize academic performance and interest in the area of transportation. Recipients were Molly Holleman and William Doerr. Holleman is a junior at NDSU from Benson, MN, pursuing a major in civil engineering. She is currently employed with UGPTI's DOT Support Center (DOTSC) as an engineering intern and works as an engineering intern during breaks in the school year with the Swift County Highway Department in Benson, MN. William Doerr, originally from Hettinger, ND, is a senior at NDSU pursuing a double major in civil and construction engineering. He is also an engineering intern with DOTSC.

   

The Paul E.R. Abrahamson Scholarship recognizes individuals demonstrating academic achievement and leadership as well as an interest in the areas of agricultural transportation and logistics. The scholarship is given in honor of Paul Abrahamson, a pioneer in the North Dakota Wheat Commission who served as its first administrator. Recipients were David Heinz and Chad Wegner. Heinz, a native of Cooperstown, ND, is a senior at NDSU in agricultural economics. Following graduation in May, Heinz plans to join his family's farm operation. Wegner, a native of Fargo, is a senior at NDSU in business administration. He plans to start his own firm as a marketing consultant specializing in new product distribution.