James C. Pourteau

Pourteau, Chris

Senior Research Editor

Publication Services - Gilchrist, Room 272
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
The Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 862-3698 Ext. 23698 · fax (979) 845-7575
c-pourteau@tamu.edu

Short Biography

Trained as a professional editor in 1992 by the Texas A&M University Press, Mr. Pourteau has edited dozens of books and authored dozens of articles and essays in the private, public, and academic sectors. His work has appeared in such publications as Manufacturing Systems magazine, the Guide to Literature in English, Shakespeare Quarterly, the Journal of Popular Culture, the Texas Transportation Researcher, and the RCE Intelliscope.

As the coordinator of TTI's Writing and Content Development team, Mr. Pourteau supervises three professional writers, maintains website content, coordinates the development of research factsheets and other specialty publications, and serves as TTI's Intranet webmaster. His extensive experience in electronic publishing includes designing site maps and content for websites and converting traditional print publications to electronic media. He played a key role in redesigning the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's (TTI's) current website by leading the content organization team, creating a site map, and populating the Oracle® database that drives the site. Over the years, Mr. Pourteau has programmed numerous electronic publications (both PDF and HTML) for sponsors including the Transportation Research Board, the Federal Highway Administration, the National Science Foundation, and Texas A&M's Office of Admissions and Records. He pioneered TTI's efforts to convert its print inventory of research reports to PDF format and helped set the editorial standards adopted statewide by the Texas Department of Transportation for its research program.

Notably, Mr. Pourteau co-designed the architecture for, and served as producer/project manager on, a $300,000 project adapting the International Right of Way Association's (IRWA's ) Pipeline Right-of-Way Agent's Development Program—a two-day, traditional, lecture-based course—to Web CD-ROM. With such features as video-based simulations, QuickTime VR property walkabouts, land plotting and description testing mechanisms, and a web-based certification program, this product trains students interactively and at their own pace. Students have access to a fully indexed and searchable Adobe® Acrobat® course manual that is both printable and viewable onscreen. The manual is enhanced by electronic forms--which users can pull into their word processing programs and edit--and links to World Wide Web sites that directly support right-of-way subject areas. Besides managing the project and serving as primary client contact with the IRWA, Mr. Pourteau oversaw the adaptation of the manual content to Adobe Acrobat and programmed the hypertext, web launch, and video display links in the PDF (portable document format) files to enhance the content value for end users.

Additionally, Mr. Pourteau has expertise translating modeling and simulation methodologies into easily understandable and implementable ideas and concepts. Earlier in his career, he worked at Knowledge Based Systems, Inc. (KBSI), which pioneered the Integrated Definition (IDEF) Family of Methods for complex function and process modeling and simulation. KBSI produces software based on its IDEFØ, IDEF 1/1X, and IDEF3 modeling and analysis methods, as well as manuals and online help systems to support the software's end users. These methods and their supporting software are the basis for ongoing process analysis and improvement in both the private and public sectors, most notably at the U.S. Department of Defense, AT&T GIS, and Johnson Controls, Inc.

Education

  • Certificate, Specialization in Technical Writing, Texas A&M University.
  • M.A., English, Texas A&M University, 1992.
  • Certificate, Editing Internship, Texas A&M University Press, 1992.
  • B.A., History, Texas A&M University, 1992.
  • B.A., English, Texas A&M University, 1989.

Experience

  • Senior Research Editor, Publication Services, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, September 2009 - Present.
  • Research Editor, Publication Services, Texas Transportation Institute, September 2001 - August 2009.
  • Associate Research Editor, Information & Technology Exchange Center, Texas Transportation Institute, June 1997 - August 2001.
  • Editorial Assistant, Texas Transportation Institute, June 1996 - June 1997.
  • Associate Research Editor, Texas Transportation Institute, March 1996 - June 1996.
  • Assistant Research Editor, Texas Transportation Institute, July 1994 - February 1996.
  • Editorial Assistant, Texas Transportation Institute, November 1993 - June 1994.

Honors & Awards

Award of Excellence for website development for The Texas Summer Transportation Institute, Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX), 2003.

Brazos Bravo Award for brochure editing for Intended for All: 125 Years of Women at Texas A&M, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 2003.

Award of Excellence for brochure writing for the Texas Summer Transportation Institute recruitment brochure, Shaping Today's Students, Building Tomorrow's Promise, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 2003.

Award of Excellence for CD-ROM application development for Scour of Foundations: Proceedings of ICSF-1: First International Conference, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 2003.

Award of Achievement for website development for the Texas Summer Transportation Institute website(http://tsti.tamu.edu), Shaping Today's Students, Building Tomorrow's Promise, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 2003.

Award of Excellence for brochure writing for the Texas A&M Department of Nuclear Engineering's brochure, Radiation and Innovation: The Legacy of Marie Curie, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 2001.

Award of Excellence for CD-ROM application development for the International Right of Way Association's Pipeline Right-of-Way Agent's Courseware and Manual, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 2001.

Award of Achievement for web site development for the Brazos-Sabine Connection (http://www.brazos-sabine.org), International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 2001.

Brazos Bravo Award for guidelines preparation for Guidelines for Preparing, Editing, and Submitting TxDOT Technical Reports (coauthored with Michelle Walker), October 1998 edition, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 1999.

Award of Achievement for presentation design for the A&M System chancellor's presentation "Enhancing Educational Opportunity in San Antonio, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 1999.

Brazos Bravo Award for editing ICAR 1996 Progress Report, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 1998.

Award of Excellence for technical writing for "Inside the Process," which appeared in Manufacturing Systems magazine, Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX), 1997.

Award of Excellence for technical writing for RCE Intelliscope: A Quarterly Focus on the RCE Program, Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX), 1996.

Award of Achievement for technical writing for RCE Intelliscope: A Quarterly Focus on the RCE Program, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 1996.

Award of Achievement for guidelines preparation for Guidelines for Preparing, Editing, and Submitting TxDOT Technical Reports (coauthored with Kelly West), July 1994 edition, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), 1995.

Selected Publications

V.D. Goodin, M.W. Burris, T.J. Lomax, T.S. Geiselbrecht, R.E. Brydia, J.C. Pourteau. Pre-Determining Performance Based Operational and Toll Rate Setting Measures. 0-6396-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2011.

R.T. Baker, V.D. Goodin, J.C. Pourteau. Is Texas Ready for Mileage Fees? A Briefing Paper. 0-6660-P1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. February 2011.