RailTEC is proud to announce that Professor Christopher P.L. Barkan, George Krambles Director, is the recipient of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 2025 Robert E. Skinner, Jr. Distinguished Transportation Research Management Award. Dr. Barkan is recognized for his nearly four decades-long career advancing research, safety, and operational capacity in the nation’s rail transportation industry. He is the fourth winner of this notable award. Click here to read Dr. Barkan’s award citation.
The award will be presented on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, during the Chair’s Plenary Session of the TRB Annual Meeting, 11-15 January 2026, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
The Skinner Award was established by the TRB Executive Committee to recognize outstanding lifetime achievement in management, administration, promotion, fostering, and implementation of transportation research. It honors Robert E. Skinner, Jr. who served TRB for more than 30 years, including 21 years as its executive director from 1994 to 2015. Award recipients are chosen by a selection committee consisting of the Chair and Vice Chair of the TRB Executive Committee, Chair of the Executive Committee’s Subcommittee on Planning and Policy Review, Chair of the TRB Division Committee, and the Executive Director of TRB. For more information about the Skinner Award, click here to read the award’s information page on the TRB website.