R. Buzz Powell, Ph.D., P.E.

Buzz serves as one of NAPA’s experts on materials, asphalt mixes, and construction. His position as the Technical Director for the Asphalt Pavement Alliance provides him with the opportunity to support innovation deployment, collaborate with partners, provide technical support to industry as well as agencies, deliver relevant education content, and identify opportunities to improve and promote asphalt pavement. Buzz has a passion for quality and promotes safe and sustainable asphalt pavement at the lowest possible life cycle cost. He supports the development of specifications by agencies that ensure performance for taxpayers and streamline the testing process while at the same time create opportunities for innovation by industry.

Experience

Before joining NAPA, Buzz worked as an associate director and research professor at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University. While at NCAT, he conducted accelerated pavement testing (APT) research on mix/materials, thickness design, and preservation. Buzz was responsible for building/rebuilding the NCAT Pavement Test Track eight times and safely applying tens of millions of ESALs of pavement damage to hundreds of experimental pavements using a large variety of virgin aggregates, reclaimed/recycled materials, asphalt binders, and mix additives from throughout the United States. His construction responsibilities included experiment design, planning/logistics, plant setup/operation, paving, sampling/testing, and contract administration. Prior to his 24-year career at NCAT, he worked for 12 years with the Alabama Department of Transportation and two years in the private sector.

Education

Bachelor of Civil Engineering (BCE), Auburn University

M.S., Auburn University

Ph.D., Auburn University