G. John Kurgan
2008 Distinguished Award of Merit

G. John Kurgan

A Pennsylvania native, G. John Kurgan earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering in 1971 from Pennsylvania State University. During his early engineering career, he worked as a civil engineer for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. In 1972, he returned to Pennsylvania State University to obtain his Master of Science in Civil Engineering.

Following graduation, he joined Michael Baker Jr., Inc., as a civil engineer and has held numerous leadership positions throughout his more than 33-year career at Baker. In his current role as Executive Vice President, he is responsible for strategic planning, marketing and overall operational oversight for Baker’s largest business sector, Transportation. John’s technical experience includes transportation research and planning, transit development planning, traffic engineering studies, transportation economic analysis, and engineering and environmental studies for electric utilities. He has been recognized nationally for engineering design and construction management and improvement to the project delivery process. Through his involvement with the Transportation Research Board and American Council of Engineering Companies, he has contributed to improvements in the engineering profession on a national scale.

During his tenure, John has played a principal part in the expansion of Baker’s Transportation practice beyond the greater Pittsburgh area. He helped to establish Baker’s presence in Arizona, Utah, Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky and Connecticut. He has worked on Baker’s most significant local Transportation projects, such as the Pittsburgh International Airport, the Airport Expressway, the West Busway, Clarion River Bridge, and the PA Route 28 improvements.

John has had an active influence with the Transportation Research Board accelerating innovation by providing both technical and management techniques for long-term yet rapid improvements focusing on the surface transportation system. The goal is to cause the least disturbance to the traveling public in a less frequent manner while making transportation system improvements quickly and accurately. With the country’s aging infrastructure, John works hard to emphasize the importance of preservation and improvement, and stresses that the transportation problems we face aren’t restricted to roads and bridges – there are a number of challenges in aviation, transit and rail as well. His hope is that we can continue as an industry to incorporate context-sensitive design into engineering solutions and to not just improve the environment, but enhance it.

He believes that transportation engineering could very well be a different profession in the future, but promises to be both exciting and challenging. Regardless of the changes and innovations made, his desire to improve the quality of engineering through education has led him to volunteer his time and service with the Pennsylvania State University, where he has served and continues to serve on several committees.