Dr. Navneet Garg from the Airport Technology R&D Branch was honored with two distinguished awards. Dr. Garg received the FAA Office of Airports Ellis A. Ohnstad Award for Technical Excellence, which was awarded during a ceremony on December 1. This award honors Dr. Garg as the foremost expert and international expert in the field of airport pavement design, analysis, and materials. Moreover, the award recognizes his demonstrated passion and dedication to his area of expertise by continuing to share information with others in an easily understood way. Dr. Garg also received the 2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award given by the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Alumni Association, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This award has a long history of recognizing only the best and most outstanding alumni from the CEE Department at UIUC. Dr. Garg will be formally recognized in a ceremony in Chicago in March 2023.  

The citation for Dr. Garg’s Technical Excellence award reads as follows:  “This individual is a foremost expert in the field of airport pavement design, analysis, and materials. Moreover, he has demonstrated passion and dedication to his area of expertise by continuing to share information with others through briefings, publications, and partnerships. As a research professional, his work is often measured by publications, studies, and professional journals. This individual goes above and beyond job requirements by engaging with industry stakeholders to exchange the latest findings, research, and trends. Dr. Garg has contributed to the Agency’s mission of increasing sustainability practices by researching WMA and other low embodied carbon materials. The result of this study positively impacts the Agency, the public, and the environment. Dr. Garg takes initiative in all academic efforts, most importantly by communicating findings with the industry at large. Dr. Garg is an internationally recognized expert.  He serves and has previously served in a number of prestigious professional organizations.  He was selected as an ASCE Fellow, recognizing his achievements, accomplishments, scholarship, and responsibility for engineering work of significant importance. He also reinforces FAA’s commitment to global leadership through his extensive international outreach. He shares research findings and trends by engaging with different experts and organizations around the world. As an established expert in pavement design, analysis, and materials, he has made international outreach a priority.”