Kittelson senior principal engineer Brian Ray approaches projects from a systems planning perspective, investing careful attention in initial project development phases to better set the foundation for identifying and refining transportation design alternatives. Brian’s earliest engineering mentors nurtured this approach – and he carries it forward in his own mentorship of young transportation professionals, as described in a profile of Brian in the November/December 2017 issue of TR News, published by the Transportation Research Board (TRB).
Junior staff seeking guidance from Brian on a particular roadway problem typically get a lesson in the larger issues of geometric design. “I know sometimes they just want the answer to a basic question, but sharing the principles leading to that answer will help them long after the immediate project,” Brian says. He also supports the involvement of young transportation professionals at TRB’s Annual Meeting. “TRB is a large organization, and the Annual Meeting can be daunting…. Helping [new attendees] connect with fellow TRB professionals – even outside geometric design – is always satisfying.”
Brian’s involvement with TRB began more than 20 years ago, first as a member of its Standing Committee on Geometric Design (serving as chair from 2006 to 2012), and then as a member of the Task Force on Arterials and Public Health, for which he is chair of the Subcommittee on Context-Sensitive Solutions. He has also chaired its Design Section since 2012. Brian presided over the Young Practitioner Research in Design and Materials session at TRB’s 2018 Annual Meeting.
Read the TR News profile of Brian (PDF), or view the full issue online.