Dr. Charles H. Miller Award

Dr. Charles H. Miller spent much of his academic career furthering the interests of road safety, and was instrumental in establishing CMRSC. It is perhaps fitting, therefore, that his contribution as a "founding father" of our conference be recognized in the form of such an award. The following biography provides some insight as to why our Association believes that it is appropriate to recognize Charlie's contributions to traffic safety in this manner.

Charles Miller was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on June 2, 1926. He graduated from St. Mary's University in 1945, and received a B.Eng. (Mechanical) from the Nova Scotia Technical College in 1947.

Charlie worked in the aerospace industry for about nine years before returning to do graduate work at the University of Toronto. His post-graduate degrees were: a Masters of Applied Science, with a thesis entitled Two Dimensional Transient Thermal Conduction, and a Doctorate of Philosophy, for research on the Magnetoplasmadynamics of a Rotary Arc Plasma Generator.

While with Oranda Engines Ltd., Charlie was responsible for testing and development of bearings, seals, and other high-speed components for gas turbine engines. As Head of the Aerodynamics Turbine Section, he was responsible for much of the early work on the RCAF Sabre-VI and CF-100 aircraft.

In 1965, Charlie returned to his alma mater, the Nova Scotia Technical College, as a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The college became the Technical University of Nova Scotia, and is now part of Dalhousie University. He worked in Mechanical Engineering continuously until his retirement in 1986 when he was appointed an Adjunct Research Professor.

In 1973, in response to an invitation from Transport Canada, Charlie established the Vehicle Safety Research Team at Nova Scotia Tech as part of a nation-wide initiative to conduct research into vehicle crashes. The objective of this research then, as now, was to assess the adequacy of safety standards for the vehicles on Canada's roadways and to provide scientifically valid information upon which enhanced safety standards could be developed and implemented.

As the Team's Coordinator, Charlie worked tirelessly to promote all aspects of road safety. He was recognized in the gallery of the Legislature of Nova Scotia for his leadership in establishing Nova Scotia's ground breaking seat belt legislation.

Charlie always relied on "the fundamentals", when confronting a problem, regardless of its complexity. This common sense approach earned him the admiration and respect of his students and his peers.

Most importantly, he was a wonderful human being.

Dale Faulkner
Dalhousie University
May, 2000

Previous winners of the Dr. Charles H. Miller Award

2001-2013