(Pictured: David J. Prusak, P.E., F.ASCE; David E. Sandberg, P.E., M.ASCE; Billy G. Connor, P.E., M.ASCE; Bill (William) Schnabel, Ph.D., P.E., A.M.ASCE)
On Saturday, February 28, 2026 Billy G. Connor, M.S.E. M., P.E., M.ASCE was honored with the Harold R. Peyton Award for Cold Regions Engineering during the annual Engineer’s Week banquet at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks, Alaska. “This is a special award for me. While I was lucky enough to meet Hal as a student, he had a profound impact on my career” Billy commented after receiving the award. He was proudly presented the award by David Sandberg, President of the Fairbanks Chapter of ASCE and Bill (William) Schnabel, Dean for the College of Engineering and Mines at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).
(Pictured: David E. Sandberg, P.E., M.ASCE; David J. Prusak, P.E., F.ASCE; ; Billy G. Connor, P.E., M.ASCE; Bill (William) Schnabel, Ph.D., P.E., A.M.ASCE)
Billy Connor is the current Director of the Arctic Infrastructure Development Center located at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Alaska. He previously served as the Associate Director for the Pacific Northwest Transportation Center upon retiring after a 30-year career with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Billy is a highly respected expert in Arctic Engineering in Alaska. His careers work has been far reaching and impactful. He has been involved in the development and publication of multiple documents related to transportation, engineering and construction in the artic environment.
This annual award is a memorial to the outstanding professional accomplishments of Harold R. Peyton, F.ASCE. It is intended to stimulate awareness and interest in the challenges of cold regions engineering and was established by the ASCE Board of Direction in October 1988. The award is made to a member of the Society who has made outstanding contributions to Cold Regions Engineering or to a basic understanding of cold environments, including dissemination of knowledge of cold climate technology through publishing innovative technical or research papers. The ASCE Cold Regions Engineering Division - CRED (formerly: Technical Council on Cold Regions Engineering) administers the award.
It is with great honor that Billy Connor was bestowed with this very deserving award for his passion and dedicated career to arctic engineering.
Joel D. Ulring, P.E., M.ASCE
Chair ASCE CRED Awards Committee