Skip to main content

Five names added to the ITS America’s Hall of Fame

At the 25th Annual Meeting & Expo, five new names have been added to ITS America’s Hall of Fame: Lawrence Burns, Abbas Mohaddes, Jeffery Paniati, William Powers and Joseph Sussman. Burns is a professor of Engineering Practice at the University of Michigan and for 10 years was vice president of research, development and planning for General Motors. He holds a PH.D in civil engineering, an M.S. in engineering/ public policy and a B.S. in mechanical engineering.
June 3, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

At the 25th Annual Meeting & Expo, five new names have been added to ITS America’s Hall of Fame: Lawrence Burns, Abbas Mohaddes, Jeffery Paniati, William Powers and Joseph Sussman. Burns is a professor of Engineering Practice at the University of Michigan and for 10 years was vice president of research, development and planning for 948 General Motors. He holds a PH.D in civil engineering, an M.S. in engineering/ public policy and a B.S. in mechanical engineering.

With more than 30 years’ experience in the application of technology in transportation systems, Mohaddes is an internationally recognised expert in ITS as well as a founder member and previous president of ITS America. Currently he is CEO of The Mohaddes Group, chairs ITS America’s Leadership Circle and is a member of the TRB Executive Committee.

As executive director, Paniati manages the day-to-day operation of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) where has worked for more than 30 years including as director of the ITS Joint Program Office. He holds an MSC degree in civil engineering and is a member of the University of Connecticut’s Academy of Distinguished Engineers.

At the end of 2000, Powers retired as vice president of research at Ford and was previously professor of engineering at Michigan University. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineers and served on ITS America’s board of directors between 1993 and 2000.

Having worked for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for almost half a century, Sussman is the JR East professor in its department for Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Systems. He has worked extensively on ITS and played a key role in building the U.S. national program.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Tributes paid to IRD founder Art Bergan
    May 29, 2025
    Bergan developed one of world's first WiM systems in 1970s
  • LaHood named co-chairman of Building America’s Future
    January 9, 2014
    Former US Secretary of Transportation is to join Building America’s Future (BAF) as a new co-chair. Serving alongside fellow co-chairs former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell the LaHood will help lead BAF’s bipartisan coalition of current and former elected officials who are committed to raising awareness about the need to invest in our nation’s roads, bridges, airports, rails and ports. Together, the BAF co-chairs called on Washington to support critica
  • US ITS systems approach critical decision time
    February 6, 2012
    Connie Sorrell, chair of the ITS America Annual Meeting and Exposition, explains why ITS in America is approaching a critical crossroads
  • US ITS systems approach critical decision time
    February 3, 2012
    Connie Sorrell, chair of the ITS America Annual Meeting and Exposition, explains why ITS in America is approaching a critical crossroads. Connie Sorrell, as Chief of Systems Operations for the Virginia Department of Transportation, doesn't normally speak in hyperbole, but she can't help but be enthusiastic about this year's ITS America's annual meeting in the nation's capitol, 1-3 June, 2009. Certainly, as Chair of the 2009 ITS America Annual Meeting and Exposition, like everyone who has performed this impo