AUTRI director receives Council of University Transportation Centers’ Lifetime Achievement Award
Published: Jan 27, 2026 2:00 PM
By Dustin Duncan
Auburn University Transportation Research Institute (AUTRI) Director Larry Rilett received the Council of University Transportation Centers’ (CUTC) Lifetime Achievement Award for Transportation Professional and Public Service during the organization’s annual awards banquet in January in Washington D.C.
The award recognizes individuals whose careers have substantially advanced transportation research and education through national professional and public service. Established in 2017 and not necessarily given each year, it succeeds an earlier CUTC lifetime achievement award created in 2008 and is considered one of the organization’s highest honors.
According to CUTC President Yinhai Wang, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Washington, nominees are evaluated on long-term contributions to transportation education and research, support for technology transfer and workforce development, participation in professional organizations and sustained service to the broader public. Past recipients include professionals who have shaped transportation policy, implementation and academic collaboration across the United States.
In his introduction, David Noyce, executive associate dean and professor of transportation engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, highlighted Rilett’s extensive accomplishments in research, teaching and outreach noting that he has served as principal or co principal Investigator on more than 60 research projects, securing over $65 million in funding and has produced more than 250 scholarly publications. Additionally, Rilett has supervised more 27 doctoral and 45 master’s students and has received two teaching awards. Furthermore, he has championed outreach initiatives that broaden educational access for underserved populations, particularly students from persistently impoverished communities.
In his acceptance remarks, Rilett described himself as an “accidental academic” and cited the influence of mentors and public higher education in shaping his career path.
“I am a big believer in the power of our public higher education institutions to change lives – mainly because this was my experience,” he told attendees.
He also emphasized collaboration in the field, noting that while the award recognizes individual achievement, transportation research and technology transfer rely on teams and partnerships.
“While I am receiving an individual award it is not lost on me that I did not do this alone,” he said.
Rilett joined Auburn in 2021 as the founding director of AUTRI after serving as a distinguished professor and director of major transportation research centers. Since Rilett’s arrival, AUTRI has expanded its research footprint by coordinating with faculty within the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and across the Auburn campus.
This growth has been fueled by new research and outreach funding from the Alabama Department of Transportation, as well as competitive multi-million dollar grants from agencies that have not historically funded research at Auburn, including the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Rilett said he’s particularly pleased that AUTRI’s Alabama Transportation Assistance Program has effectively doubled its technical outreach activities in the past two years and in 2025 was active in all 67 Alabama counties.
Rilett said he was “equal parts honored and humbled” to be recognized by CUTC.
“I looked over the list of past winners and remember when I was in graduate school reading their papers – it is quite an honor to be counted among them,” he said.
Mario Eden, dean of engineering, said this award for Rilett is fitting, citing his sustained academic excellence and the leadership he provides to Auburn University’s transportation programs and initiatives.
“I am tremendously proud that Larry’s outstanding track-record of impactful contributions to research and education have been recognized through this award, which affirms the reputation he’s built as an authority in this area,” Eden said. “His leadership at AUTRI strengthens our partnerships, expands opportunities for our students and helps position the college among the top engineering programs in the country.”
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David Noyce, executive associate dean and professor of transportation engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, left, Larry Rilett, director of AUTRI, center, and Yinhai Wang, president of the Council of University Transportation Centers, pose for a photo after Rilett was honored with the CUTC Lifetime Achievement Award for Transportation Professional and Public Service during the organization’s annual awards banquet in January in Washington D.C.
