The Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI) of ASCE is pleased to announce Richard G. Thuma, P.E., ENV SP, M.ASCE, of Crawford, Murphy, and Tilly, as the 2021 winner of the Airfield Pavement Practitioner Award. The award was established to honor and recognize practicing engineers employed in the airfield pavement engineering profession with demonstrated leadership and achievement in airfield pavement projects.
Mr. Thuma is a highly reputable Pavement Engineer and Project Manager specializing in airfield pavement design, pavement management, project definition, and airfield geometrics, and currently serves as the Aviation Military and Special Projects Group Manager at Crawford, Murphy, and Tilly. With 30 years of experience, including 26 in aircraft pavement and eight as a Civil Engineer in the United States Air Force, Mr. Thuma has evaluated airfield pavements and managed rehabilitation projects at over 50 military and civilian airports worldwide. He has been leading pavement management and rehabilitation projects at Washington Dulles International Airport since 2002 and his extensive airfield resume includes projects at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ; Joint Base Andrews, MD; McConnell AFB, KS; Fort Bragg, NC; and Travis AFB, CA. Mr. Thuma is widely regarded as a “go-to” person whose knowledge and expertise is valued throughout the industry, and he is known for offering innovative and cost-effective solutions. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University and M.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Washington. Mr. Thuma is a long-time member of ASCE and T&DI. He is a past Chair of ASCE’s Airfield Pavement Committee and was the former Chair of the T&DI Aviation Council. When his children were young, he mentored Boy Scout Troop 210 as Troop Committee Chairman and Adult Volunteer.