Dr. Pedro Romero, faculty in Civil Engineering, was presented with the Utah Department of Transportation Trailblazer Award during the 2017 UDOT research meeting. The award was given in recognition for his contributions towards ‘excellence in transportation research’. For many years, Dr. Romero has been working with the department of transportation to improve the longevity of Utah’s roads through better material specifications and testing procedures. Maintenance and construction of the transportation infrastructure are a significant part of UDOT’s budget, thus improvements in the material specification to extend the life of the roads can result in millions of dollars saved every year.