The Georgia Society of Professional Engineers (GSPE) announced the 2009 Engineer of the Year awards, naming Dr. Michael D. Meyer as Engineer of the Year in Education. The ceremony honoring him and the other award recipients will take place during Engineer's Week, February 22-28, 2009.
Dr. Meyer is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and former chair of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). He is also head of CEE's transportation engineering program and director of the Georgia Transportation Institute.
CEE School Chair Joseph Hughes stated "Dr. Meyer is consistently ranked by students as one of the most effective teachers in the School, always working in a variety of roles to support mentoring, career opportunities, the curriculum, and the overall CEE program. He has also earned a remarkable reputation among peers in academia, industry, and government. His presence on our faculty makes the School, Georgia Tech, and the State of Georgia a national focus in the transportation arena, and ensures our leadership in addressing regional and national civil infrastructure issues".
Dr. Meyer is one of the nation's foremost experts transportation. He has written more than 160 technical articles and has authored or co-authored numerous texts on transportation systems, planning and policy, including a college textbook for McGraw Hill entitled Urban Transportation Planning: A Decision Oriented Approach. He was the author of Transportation Congestion and Mobility: A Toolbox for Transportation Officials, a book sponsored by the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration that focuses on transportation actions that can be implemented to enhance mobility. He is an active member of numerous professional organizations, and has chaired committees relating to transportation systems engineering and planning, public transportation, environmental impact analysis, transportation policy, transportation education, and intermodal transportation.
Further, Dr. Meyer is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2006 Wilbur Smith Distinguished Educator Award from the Institute of Transportation Engineers; the 2000 Theodore M. Matson Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of transportation engineering; the 1995 Pyke Johnson Award of the Transportation Research Board for best paper in planning and administration delivered at the TRB Annual Meeting; and the 1988 Harland Bartholomew Award of the American Society of Civil Engineers for contribution to the enhancement of the role of the civil engineer in urban planning and development. He was recently appointed to the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board.
Formed in 1944, GSPE is comprised of engineering professionals in all disciplines of engineering, and has chapters statewide. Its core objectives include the protection of the public through professional registration and adherence to the Code of Ethics, supporting education and training for engineering professionals, monitoring and influencing engineering legislation, recognizing engineering achievement, advancing the public image of engineers, and maintaining member awareness of issues affecting engineers. Its many programs include the Professional Engineer Recognition Reception, a legislative forum, MATHCOUNTS, E-Week, and Engineer of the Year awards. For additional information about the 2009 awards and Georgia Engineers Week, click here.