The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

During a special ceremony, 18 individuals were inducted into the new NCAT Wall of Honor in recognition of their dedication to fulfilling NCAT’s mission, according to the National Asphalt Pavement Association‘s (NAPA) Action News e-newsletter.

About 100 members of the NCAT family attended the anniversary events. Wall of Honor members received individual plaques featuring a carved portrait and a short statement of their contributions to NCAT, according to Action News.

In the mid-80s, a research center was envisioned. This center was envisioned as a place that would advance pavement technologies, improve asphalt pavement performance under increasing traffic loads and a place where necessary training for pavement engineers and technicians to help move new technologies from the laboratory into every-day practice could be done, according to NCAT history.

The NAPA Research and Education Foundation made this vision a reality in 1986 when it formed a partnership with Auburn University to establish the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT). Twenty-five years later, NCAT celebrates this milestone anniversary with the numerous research and outreach accomplishments NAPA anticipated and with many more possibilities to help the industry grow.