For more than two decades, Richard has devoted his career to the study of asphalt technologies and to helping develop materials testing, inspection, and specifications to improve the sustainability of asphalt pavements. His experience includes 12 years in multiple roles at the Texas Department of Transportation before moving to Koch Materials where he worked on public-private partnerships on major road projects in New Mexico and Virginia. When Koch became SemGroup, Richard continued his work on asphalt design by managing a design group and lab operations for the company. He currently works with Ingevity Pavement Technologies studying the impacts of warm asphalt on environmental product declarations for warm-mix chemistry and asphalt mix, as well as life cycle assessments.

Richard has participated in ASTM since 2001, having served as chair for the ASTM D04 Committee of Road and Paving Materials and subcommittee chair of both the D04.20 Mechanical Testing of Asphalt Mixtures and the D0426 Fundamental/Mechanical Tests Committees. He currently serves as vice chair for the D04.94 Statistical Procedures and Evaluation of Data Committee. From 2003 to 2009, he was a member of TRB Committee AFK50 and has held membership in AAPT since 1999. 

As a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, Richard served as an Engineer Officer and a Civil Affairs Plans Officer. In 1996, he deployed with the 320th Civil Affairs Brigade Detachment during Operation Joint Endeavor with assignments in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.

Richard holds a BSCE from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Deb has over 15 years of dedicated research experience and more than $18 million in total research funding secured from prestigious agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and multiple state Departments of Transportation. He is well-positioned to lead and assist in implementation efforts focusing on low-carbon transportation materials. 

Deb has worked extensively on life cycle assessments (LCAs) for transportation infrastructure, having led a team of 11 universities to be selected for establishing the National Center for Sustainable Construction Materials, a multi-million-dollar EPA-funded Center that aims to revolutionize the construction materials industry by driving innovation in low-carbon technologies. Additionally, Deb has led projects focused on benchmarking global warming potentials of asphalt and concrete mixes and identifying different alternatives to reduce the environmental impacts of transportation infrastructure. Deb’s experience is deeply rooted in interdisciplinary collaborations and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance sustainable practices in the transportation industry. 

He has cultivated partnerships with federal and state agencies, private industry leaders, and academic institutions to develop data-driven decision-making frameworks that incorporate material performance data with LCA insights. This holistic approach has been instrumental in providing actionable sustainability solutions and advancing the adoption of green practices across various transportation sectors. Deb serves as a member of FHWA’s Sustainable Pavements Technical Working Group (SPTWG), as well as NAPA’s Product Category Rule (PCR) Committee.

Deb holds a B.Tech degree from IIT Kanpur, India, an MS in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University, and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Idaho and is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Oklahoma State University.