Friday, November 06, 2009 (Washington, DC )

Joseph Szabo, Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, issued the following statement commending Michael Coplen, a Senior Human Factors Program Manager in the Office of Research and Development, who will receive the American Evaluation Association’s 2009 Alva and Gunnar Myrdal Government Award:

“Everyone at the Federal Railroad Administration is proud of Michael’s distinguished record developing safety initiatives that have reduced derailments and on-the-job injuries, and spurred new, national safety legislation. Michael’s groundbreaking research informs our efforts here at the agency on a near daily basis. I congratulate him on his more than two decades of outstanding work in the railroad industry.

“Michael is the first Department of Transportation employee to receive this award and I hope that we are able to work with him for another 20 years on these important topics.”