Dybing Named UTC Student of the Year

Alan Dybing was an excellent student, so when he finished coursework for his doctoral degree last year, the UGPTI hired him full time.

That decision was reaffirmed when Dybing was named 2005 Region VIII Student of the year at the Transportation Research Board annual meeting in Washington in January. Each year, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) honors the most outstanding student from each participating University Transportation Center (UTC) for achievements and promise for future contributions to the transportation field. Students of the Year are selected based on their accomplishments in such areas as technical merit and research, academic performance, professionalism, and leadership. Each student receives a certificate from DOT and $1,000 from the student's UTC.

Dybing's Mountain-Plains Consortium nomination was based on his thesis work focusing on estimating transportation demand generated by the production and marketing of agricultural commodities in the state. He also worked on MPC-funded projects designed to estimate truck trips generated by the state's grain elevators.

"The work will be useful in road planning to evaluate the draw of trucks to elevators based on the elevators' characteristics," Dybing explained. For example, larger elevators that ship on unit trains, draw significantly more traffic than small elevators. That traffic may also include larger and heavier trucks. "Our work will be a planning tool for state and local officials looking at road maintenance and improvements."

A native of Maddock, ND, Dybing came to NDSU 10 years ago to major in agricultural education and minor in agricultural economics. Once he earned his B.S. degree, he began work on his master's degree in agricultural economics with the transportation option, a program jointly administered by the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and the Transportation Institute.

Dybing was in the first class when NDSU launched its doctoral program in transportation and logistics in 2002.

Griffin Receives TRF Whitten Award

UGPTI director Gene Griffin was awarded the Herbert O. Whitten TRF Service Award by the Transportation Research Forum. Griffin was honored at the TRF's 47th annual meeting March 23-25 at New York University.

The Whitten Award recognizes a TRF member who has made outstanding professional contributions to the Forum over a long period of time. Griffin is the ninth winner of the award in the Forum's 47-year history.

"This award is really a recognition of the excellent people I've worked with over the years at the UGPTI and within the TRF organization," Griffin said.

With more than 30 years of experience in transportation and logistics, Griffin has conducted research in economics, management, business logistics and public policy related to rail and motor transport, low-volume roads, economic development, rural transit, and agricultural transportation. He has served as director of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute since 1980.

During his tenure as director, the UGPTI gained national stature in its focus area of small urban and rural transportation and logistics. Griffin continues his involvement in research and has published numerous reports and journal articles.

Griffin also has served as executive director of the Transportation Research Forum since 2004 when the UGPTI became the administrative home to the TRF. The Forum is an independent organization of transportation professionals that provides an impartial meeting ground for carriers, shippers, government officials, consultants, university researchers, suppliers and others to discuss ideas related to both passenger and freight transportation. The group has about 400 members.