Antoine G. Hobeika honored with emeritus status

Antoine G. Hobeika, professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Timothy D. Sands. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive an emeritus certificate from the university.

A member of the university community since 1973, Hobeika’s research contributed greatly to improvements in transportation emergency management, modeling of intelligent transportation systems, transportation planning and economics, and airport planning.

He was the founding director of the Virginia Tech Center for Transportation Research, known today as the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. He played a key part in the development and creation of the Smart Road.

During his career, Hobeika received approximately $18 million in research funding support.

His work has been recognized with several professional awards, including the Distinguished University Fellow of ITS America and serving as a member of the technical review team for the National Intelligent Transportation Systems System Architecture. In addition, Hobeika received the American Society of Civil Engineers Distinguished Service Award (Air Transportation Division).

Throughout his 43-year career, Hobeika taught thousands of civil engineering students in all areas of transportation engineering. He also advised 97 graduate students through their master’s degree and Ph.D. research work, including 12 Ph.D. graduates who have gone on to hold university faculty positions (out of a total of 24 Ph.D. graduates).

Hobeika received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the American University of Beirut and a Ph.D. from Purdue University.