NUtech Ventures 2021 Prem S. Paul Innovator of the Year: Ron Faller

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10/28/2021 Added

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The Prem S. Paul Innovator of the Year award went to Ron Faller, director and research professor of the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility. The award recognizes an individual who exemplifies innovation and entrepreneurship by advancing novel research into significant commercial use. Ron Faller is the director of Nebraska’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, which conducts research related to highway design and safety. He and his team work closely with public transportation officials and companies to develop and test innovative new technologies in highway safety.

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[00:00:00.352](upbeat music)
[00:00:06.490]- Hello, I'm Ron Faller.
[00:00:07.820]I serve as Director of the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility,
[00:00:11.300]and I'm also a faculty member,
[00:00:13.010]in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
[00:00:15.740]So I work in transportation safety,
[00:00:18.130]which really impacts roadside safety design.
[00:00:21.210]I also work in the motor sports safety field,
[00:00:23.410]as well as in physical security,
[00:00:25.950]Department of Defense type activities.
[00:00:28.580]I've been blessed to work at this University
[00:00:31.130]for more than 35 years, and in that time period,
[00:00:34.530]I've had several breakthroughs in research,
[00:00:37.530]the ability to work with the USDA Forest Service
[00:00:40.630]in developing more than 15 bridge railing systems
[00:00:43.719]for timber deck bridges that would be utilized
[00:00:46.111]across highways and roadways in our national parks
[00:00:49.700]and aesthetic roadways and scenic areas.
[00:00:52.750]I worked on a crashworthy noise wall
[00:00:54.870]for roadside applications, and I've worked in motor sports,
[00:00:58.530]developing with my colleagues,
[00:01:00.560]a SAFER barrier for motor sports applications.
[00:01:03.930]The SAFER barrier originated with a research project
[00:01:07.210]with the Indy Racing League in 1998.
[00:01:10.092]And through that development,
[00:01:11.840]we worked later with NASCAR to develop
[00:01:14.720]a energy absorbing racetrack barrier.
[00:01:17.410]And through that effort, we were able to mitigate
[00:01:20.110]the severity of those crashes and save lives
[00:01:23.450]and prevent serious injuries for race car drivers.
[00:01:27.800]The next item that's very important to me
[00:01:30.660]is really this collaborative effort with my partners
[00:01:33.690]here in Midwest and traffics devices.
[00:01:36.380]And really developing the first crash cushion
[00:01:39.120]in our team here at the University of Nebraska
[00:01:41.289]and seeing that system being implemented already
[00:01:45.390]across the United States and Canada.
[00:01:48.780]NuTech's been a great partner in really research
[00:01:51.710]for our organization and myself.
[00:01:53.778]They help us develop industrial partnerships
[00:01:57.560]that lead to research projects that we enjoy
[00:02:00.280]solving problems.
[00:02:01.610]They help with protecting intellectual property.
[00:02:04.980]They help with setting up arrangements
[00:02:06.820]for licensing agreements that help with implementing
[00:02:10.230]these products across the country and around the globe.
[00:02:14.660]Bob Bielenberg, Scott Rosenbaugh, Karla Lechtenberg
[00:02:19.260]Jim Holloway are major players in our organization.
[00:02:23.300]Current faculty members are Dr. Cody Stolle,
[00:02:26.330]Dr. Joshua Steelman and Dr. Mojdeh Pajouh.
[00:02:30.610]Big thanks to all of them for the help and support
[00:02:33.110]over my career.
[00:02:34.900]There's great joy in working in this area
[00:02:37.560]of roadside safety for one,
[00:02:39.250]because our work really is having an impact
[00:02:42.370]on highways and roadways, not only in Nebraska,
[00:02:44.960]not only around the United States, but around the world.
[00:02:48.040]So really we impact motorists,
[00:02:50.080]allow them to go home at night with their families
[00:02:52.540]and loved ones, and we reduce serious injuries
[00:02:54.771]and prevent fatalities.
[00:02:56.680]Those are very important to all of us,
[00:02:58.630]and I'm proud of our team that put that together.
[00:03:01.761](upbeat music)

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NUtech Ventures 2021 Prem S. Paul Innovator of the Year: Ron Faller

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