Transportation Education Council Innovation in Education Award – Dr. Peter Furth, Northeastern University
August 11, 2017
At the 2017 international meeting of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) in Toronto, Northeastern Faculty Member, Peter Furth received the Innovation in Education Award as selected by ITE’s Transportation Education Council.
The award stems mainly from the reputation of Dr. Furth’s Dialogue of Civilizations course, which other transportation engineering educators around the the country have learned about, envied, and in some cases, emulated*. The explanation of the award from the Council was:
“Increasing the use of sustainable transportation modes – bicycling, walking, and public transportation – is a growing priority for American cities. An enthusiastic and innovative approach to this topic is brought by Dr. Peter Furth of Northeastern University. He takes students of all disciplines (both technical and non-technical) to the Netherlands to see firsthand exemplary bicycling infrastructure, public transportation priority, and bike-and-transit-oriented urban planning. Not only does Dr. Furth bring that knowledge back to the classroom, but he also reaches out through the media, civic engagement, and even a TEDx talk. Through these efforts, he has influenced the thinking and opened the minds of many students and practitioners to a fresh approach to travel beyond the private vehicle mode. He is dedicated to improving the safety and sustainability of the transportation system for all users.”
Transportation engineering professors from the following universities have come to the Netherlands to observe Dr. Furth’s program: Georgia Tech, Portland State, Univ of British Columbia Okanagan, Kwame Nkrumah Univ of Science and Technology (premier science / tech university of Ghana & West Africa), Univ of Idaho, Univ of Oregon, Gonzaga College. Those from the first four schools listed now run their own programs modeled after Dr. Furth’s.
Student Projects: