Michael Knodler, '99 honored with UMass Dartmouth Alumni Association Achievement Award

NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA (11/16/2011)(readMedia)-- Dr. Michael Knodler, Jr.'99 of Belchertown MA. is an associate professor in the Transportation Engineering Program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UMass Amherst. Knodler was among the seven distinguished alumni honored by the UMass Dartmouth Alumni Association who have achieved professional success and made major contributions to their community.

"We take a moment to shine a light on individuals who prove every day the power and value of UMass Dartmouth," Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack said. "We honor individuals who have used their UMass Dartmouth education as a catalyst for accomplishment. We honor individuals who have been courageous advocates for the University because they appreciate the opportunities provided to them by the University.'

Dr. Knodler was honored with UMass Dartmouth Alumni Association Achievement Award. Knodler also serves as the Principal Investigator with UMassSAFE and is the associate director of the Human Performance Laboratory. Considered a leader in the transportation engineering field, his primary areas of focus include traffic safety, operations, design, and education. His research has made several important and significant contributions to transportation engineering.

Dr. Knodler is currently working on projects for the National Highway Safety Administration and the New England Transportation Consortium, and has been involved in several safety related initiatives including the statewide safety belt usage study for Massachusetts, a pedestrian crossing behavior study, and speed related crash analyses.

Dr. Knodler is also actively involved in the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the professional society serving the transportation engineering profession. He has served as president of the New England section and is currently the advisor for the ITE UMass Student Chapter.

His commitment to the advancement of the transportation engineering profession has earned him the honor of the 2011 Distinguished Service Award, which is nominated and voted on by industry peers. He received a B.S. in civil & environmental engineering at UMass Dartmouth, as well as an M.S. in civil engineering and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the UMass Amherst.