Bates Selected as UTC-MiSTI Student of the Year

Timothy J. (TJ) Bates has been selected as the University Transportation Center for Materials in Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (UTC-MiSTI) Student of the Year and will represent Michigan Tech and the center at the 2008 Annual Council of University Transportation Centers Awards Banquet on Jan. 12 in Washington, DC.

Bates is currently pursuing his MS in Civil Engineering and is advised by Associate Professor Thomas Van Dam. His research involves the examination of the effects of potassium acetate as a runway deicer on hardened portland cement concrete. Bates maintains a 4.0 GPA, is a Phil Youngs Memorial Fellowship recipient, served as director of the 2007 North Central Conference Concrete Canoe Competition and was selected as a 2007 UTC Summer Research Scholar. In addition, he recently presented at the Recent Advances in Concrete Technology Conference held Sept. 19-21 in Washington, DC, and was published as first author in the conference proceedings. His presentation and paper are titled "Comparison of Field and Laboratory Concretes Exposed to Potassium Acetate Runway Deicer."

MiSTI is one of 60 University Transportation Centers strategically positioned at universities by the Federal Highway Administration. The UTC at Michigan Tech is exploring new researching the role materials have in creating a more sustainable transportation infrastructure. This includes the use of recycled and industrial by-products and innovative processes to reduce the social, economic and environmental impacts of constructing and maintaining our national transportation systems.

As UTC's Student of the Year, Bates will receive a $1,000 honorarium from MiSTI, travel reimbursement to attend the awards ceremony and the 87th Annual Transportation Research Board Conference, and he will be presented with a certificate from the US Department of Transportation at an official ceremony in Washington, DC.

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