January 4, 2022
In advance of the 2022 TRB Annual Meeting, we’re excited to announce the addition of two recognized leaders in transportation research to Kittelson in Texas and North Carolina.
Kittelson is excited to welcome Dr. H. Gene Hawkins and Dr. Nagui Rouphail, industry leaders in traffic control devices and highway capacity.
Dr. H. Gene Hawkins
Dr. H. Gene Hawkins has an extensive background in traffic operations and is a leading expert on the subject of traffic control devices. He is a former chair of the Transportation Research Board’s Traffic Control Devices Committee and is the current Chair for the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
Gene will officially join the team at Kittelson at the beginning of March 2022. Previously, Gene was a professor in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University and held a joint appointment as a research engineer with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, where he worked with several Kittelson staff, including Jim Bonneson and Tom Urbanik. Others at Kittelson also had the privilege of working with Gene, some in grad school and some on NCHRP 3-130, Guide For Roundabouts.
Gene is the keeper of one of our industry’s most extensive online guides to the MUTCD, including a collection of previous editions, MUTCD resources, and practical information for how the MUTCD can be applied. He has also led development of TxDOT’s Freeway Signing Handbook, Pavement Marking Handbook, and Sign Crew Field Book, for which he was recognized with a Top Innovation Award.
Dr. Nagui Rouphail
Dr. Nagui Rouphail is internationally known for his work in highway capacity and operations, multi-scale traffic simulation, and the interface of traffic flow and air quality. His research contributions include publishing more than 200 refereed journal articles, including 10 best paper awards, and contributing research and co-authoring the HCM2000, 2010, and 6th Edition.
Nagui brings more than 40 years of experience in academia and has been a close teaming partner to Kittelson in his time as Director of the Institute for Transportation Research & Education (ITRE) and Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University. He has participated in projects and advised students across the globe, including in Sweden, Denmark, South Korea, South Africa, Australia, and Portugal. He is also a longtime friend and mentor to many of us at Kittelson-at least a dozen of our staff are former “students” of Nagui’s. It is very meaningful for us to now have Nagui as an official member of our team.
Growing Our Research Practice
“We are all thrilled to welcome these distinguished researchers and longtime teaming partners to our team,” said Bastian Schroeder, Director of Research at Kittelson. “Nagui’s expertise in highway capacity and Gene’s expertise in traffic control devices is unmatched. In addition to what they bring to our research practice, both have a lot to offer us in terms of mentorship and staff development.”
Contributing to transportation research traces back to our early days as an organization. Over the years, this interest has grown into a formal practice area. It’s exciting for us to continue to add team members and mentor existing staff who have an interest in research so that we can continue to contribute to the advancement of our profession.
Gene and Nagui will join a cohort of Kittelson staff attending the 101st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in January 2022. If you’ll be there too, and would like to meet up, check out our Annual Meeting schedule or reach out to any of us directly via the contact information on our bios.