Halil Ceylan receives highest honor in transportation engineering

Halil Ceylan, the Pitt-Des Moines, Inc. Endowed Professor in Civil Engineering at Iowa State University, has been honored with the Francis C. Turner Award by the Transportation and Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for significantly advancing the field of transportation engineering. This prestigious award, named after the visionary leader behind the Interstate Highway System, recognizes Ceylan’s contributions to transportation engineering.

“This recognition is truly gratifying and affirms the contributions of our research group toward advancing transportation engineering,” says Ceylan. “Our work in developing smart, sustainable, durable, and resilient infrastructure systems continues to shape modern engineering practices and the future of transportation.”

At Iowa State, Ceylan founded and directs the Program for Sustainable Pavement Engineering & Research within the Institute for Transportation. He is also the Iowa State site director for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Center of Excellence for General Aviation, known as the Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility, and Sustainability. Under his leadership, these interdisciplinary groups have pioneered pavement innovation and transportation infrastructure research advancements.

“We have built an interdisciplinary community of engineers through creating these groups, crossing the traditional boundaries of civil and transportation engineering,” he says.

Among the notable innovations from Ceylan’s research group are:

• Heated pavement systems: Development of conductive concrete and asphalt-based heated pavement systems for applications ranging from airfields to parking lots, sidewalks, and bus stop areas.
• Pavement analysis tools: Creation of tools for local agencies to assess pavement conditions, integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques into geotechnical and transportation engineering research.
• Sustainable materials: Utilization of recycled plastics in geosynthetics for base stabilization.
• Infrastructure monitoring: Employing small uncrewed aircraft systems (drones/sUAS) to capture data and monitor the health of geo and transportation infrastructure systems.

Throughout his career, Ceylan has authored over 500 research articles, with approximately 90% co-authored with his current and former graduate students and postdoctoral research associates. He has delivered more than 480 technical lectures, including over 170 invited talks and several keynote addresses. His work has been featured in various media outlets, including NBC’s “Today Show,” “NBC Nightly News,” and The Weather Channel. His research on electrically conductive concrete heated pavement systems has been recognized as a High-Value Research project and an Innovation Initiative Focus Technology by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Ceylan’s research has also led to two U.S. patents and the establishment of the world’s first electrically conductive concrete heated pavement test site at Des Moines International Airport in Iowa. This work addresses the challenges of snow- and ice-covered airfields, aiming to keep airports operational during adverse weather conditions.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Ceylan has received multiple honors from ASCE, including induction as a Distinguished Member in 2022 and the Robert Horonjeff Award in 2023 for his significant impact on air transportation engineering. Most recently, his innovative research was honored with the 2024 Transportation Research Board Roy W. Crum Award, a lifetime achievement award given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to transportation research.

Ceylan is also dedicated to education, designing pavement analysis and design courses, and geotechnical and materials engineering seminars. He has mentored over 80 doctoral and master’s students, postdoctoral research associates, and research staff, many of whom have received awards from the FAA, Federal Highway Administration, Iowa State University, and various national and international industry organizations for their work within his research group.

“The best investments of our programs have been in our undergraduate, graduate students, and research staff,” Ceylan says. “I am proud that many former students are working for the agencies we collaborate with or have continued working with our group, making interdisciplinary impacts.”