W. N. Carey, Jr., Distinguished Service Award

The Award recognizes people who have given leadership and distinguished service to the Transportation Research Board but who have not necessarily been personally active in transportation research.

Created in 1972, the Award was known as the Highway Research Board Distinguished Service Award until 1974 when it was renamed the Transportation Research Board Distinguished Service Award to correspond to the change in the Board's name. In January 1987, the Executive Committee renamed this award the W. N. Carey, Jr., Distinguished Service Award in honor of W. N. Carey, Jr., who served as the Board's director from 1967 until 1980.

Who Can Nominate

Current or past TRB volunteers or staff

Nomination Process

The nomination portal will be opened beginning in June. All nominations must be submitted no later than July 31. A single nomination may be jointly-submitted/supported by multiple nominators, but nominators must designate a corresponding nominator and all nominators must be a current or former TRB volunteer or staff member.

Nominators will be expected to summarize information on their candidate in each of the following areas: 1) TRB volunteer activities; 2) Professional leadership roles; 3) Leadership and service accomplishments; and 4) Other intangibles nominators wish to be considered by the selection committee. Summary information for a candidate for each of these areas may not exceed 400 words for a total of no more than 1,600 words per nomination. Nominators will have the option to upload their candidate’s bio or provide a link to their candidate’s bio online. Nominators are limited to nominating no more than one candidate per nomination cycle.  Current TRB staff are not eligible to receive this award.

All nominators will be notified upon a decision by the selection committee. The award recipient will be notified in October and a formal announcement is released later in the Fall. The award is dated the year the recipient is named and is presented at Chair’s Plenary Session at the January TRB Annual Meeting.

Selection Committee

Committee will consist of the Chair and Vice Chair of the TRB Executive Committee, and Chair and Vice-Chair of the TRB Division Committee.

Former Recipients

2024 - Chandra R. Bhat
2023 - John M. Mason, Jr.
2022 - Neil Pedersen
2021 - Vincent Valdes
2020 - Martha Grabowski
2019 - Frederick G. (Bud) Wright
2018 - Susan Hanson
2017 - Michael F. Trentacoste
2016 - H.G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr.
2015 - Kirk T. Steudle
2014 - Katherine F. Turnbull
2013 - Harold R. Paul
2012 - John C. Horsley
2011 - Adib K. Kanafani
2010 - Debra L. (Deb) Miller
2009 - David L. Huft
2008 - Michael D. Meyer
2007 - Alan E. Pisarski
2006 - Anne Canby
2005 - Genevieve Giuliano
2004 - A. Ray Chamberlain
2003 - E. Dean Carlson
2002 - Martin Wachs
2001 - Lillian C. Borrone
2000 - Sharon D. Banks
1999 - William W. Millar
1998 - C. Michael Walton
1997 - Charles E. Dougan
1996 - Louis J. Gambaccini
1995 - Lawrence D. Dahms
1994 - Thomas B. Deen
1993 - John Gray
1992 - Thomas D. Larson
1991 - Lester A. Hoel
1990 - Carlton C. Robinson
1989 - Francis B. Francois
1988 - Milton Pikarsky
1987 - Joseph M. Clapp
1986 - Lester P. Lamm
1985 - Darrell V Manning
1984 - Charley V. Wootan
1983 - Henrik E. Stafseth
1982 - Peter G. Koltnow
1981 - Philip R. Handler (posthumously)
1980 - Ronald W. Pulling
1979 - Robert N. Hunter
1978 - Roy C. Edgerton
1977 - William J. Harris, Jr.
1976 - Ernst Weber
1975 - Robert O. Swain
1974 - Jesse E. Buchanan
1973 - James C. Allen
1972 - Oscar T. Marzke