AASHTO Journal - RIDOT’s Nazareth Wins AASHTOWare Prismatic Award

Craig Nazareth (above) – bridge inspection and load ratings database information manager at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation – recently received AASHTOWare’s 2026 Prismatic Legacy Award for his volunteer work on behalf of the program.

[Above photo by RIDOT]

AASHTOWare, a division of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, offers a suite of transportation software products delivered through a collaborative business model with state departments of transportation across the country.

Volunteers from those state DOTs are intricately involved in the decision-making processes regarding AASHTOWare products; providing the expert advice and insight that makes AASHTOWare’s software suite unique in the transportation industry.

To recognize and honor the valuable role state DOT volunteers play in its software development work, AASHTOWare created the Prismatic Legacy Award, which is bestowed on an impactful volunteer across the AASHTOWare suite.

Nazareth received the 2026 Prismatic Legacy Award for his continued involvement in the AASHTOWare Project volunteer community.

A graduate of the New England Institute of Technology, Nazareth has worked for RIDOT for 39 years largely in bridge safety inspection. He’s been volunteering for AASHTOWare since 2011 when he attended his first Bridge Management User Group or BrMUG meeting in Rhode Island in 2012.

Nazareth said the best thing about volunteering for AASHTOWare is helping others in the state department of transportation community. “While a lot of states work differently, by coming together, we help each other and learn from one another,” he explained. “And this product helps us do the best we can.”

He also encouraged others to consider volunteering as well. “It does take some time away from your state DOT duties,” Nazareth noted. “But the knowledge gain about the product and the people and the connections you make – the information you get from people in your field – is much more valuable than the time you lose at work. Because you wouldn’t learn this kind of information or get these kinds of connections if you aren’t involved in AASHTOWare.”

“We created the Prismatic Award specifically to honor the dedication of all the hardworking volunteers like Craig Nazareth,” noted Keith Platte, director of AASHTOWare. “He is the kind of volunteer that goes above and beyond to help the AASHTOWare products for the greater good of all state DOTs.”