L. Ray Buckendale Lecture
Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018
8:30 – 9:15 a.m.
Grand Ballroom A-C
The L. Ray Buckendale Lecture award provides for an annual lecture that deals with automotive ground vehicles for either on- or off-road operation in either commercial or military service. The intent is to provide procedures and data useful in formulating solutions in commercial vehicle design, manufacture, operation, and maintenance.
Kirk T. Steudle, P.E.
Director
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)
"Transformational Technologies Reshaping Transportation, a Government Perspective"
Kirk T. Steudle, Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) since 2006, oversees MDOT’s over $4 billion budget, and is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and operation of nearly 10,000 miles of state highways and more than 4000 state highway bridges at a department with 2500 employees. He also oversees administration of a variety of multi-modal transportation programs and projects. Steudle is a national leader in the development of Connected and Automated Vehicle Technologies, and was the 2014-15 Chair for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) Board of Directors. He also is a member of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Program Advisory Committee to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Steudle is a Past President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and Chairs the Standing Committee on Highways. He was a 2014 member of the National Research Council for the National Academy of Science and the 2014 Chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee. He also chaired the second Strategic Highway Research Program Oversight Committee (SHRP 2) for TRB. As well as a member of numerous NCHRP panels and committees on asset and performance management. Steudle is a graduate of Lawrence Technological University, where he received a bachelor's degree in construction engineering, serves on the College of Engineering Advisory Board and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
Niles Annelin
Manager–Asset Management and Policy
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)
Niles Annelin is the Manager of the Asset Management and Policy Section of the Michigan Department of Transportation. He joined the Department in 2005. In that time, he has taken on the role of the Department’s environmental policy specialist and connected and automated vehicle policy specialist; responsible for analyzing state and federal legislation related to emerging issues in climate change, risk and resiliency, and highly automated vehicles. In this role he also oversees the policy staff responsible for state and federal issues related to modes such as freight, marine, ports, bikes, and pedestrians. Additionally, he oversees the support staff of the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council. He has served on two National Cooperative Highway Research Program panels. Is a co project manager for the Michigan Mobility 2045 Transportation Plan and serves as MDOT staff for the Michigan Council on Future Mobility. Annelin is a graduate of Michigan State University.