Award Recipients

Distinguished Contribution | Milton Pikarsky | C.V. Wootan
New Faculty Member | Non-Thesis Masters Degree

Biographies

Dr. Lester A. Hoel

Lester Hoel has dedicated his life to transportation education and research. His leadership and distinguished service to countless engineering organizations have been recognized time and again. He has had an unparalleled influence on the world of transportation, a man of international renown as an engineer and an educator.

Dr. Hoel is the L.A. Lacy Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Virginia. He held the Hamilton Professorship in Civil Engineering from 1974-99. From 1974-89 he was Chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering. Previously he was Professor of Civil Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University from 1966-1974. Dr. Hoel has been a registered professional engineer in California, Pennsylvania and Virginia. He earned the Doctorate in Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1963.

Throughout his outstanding career, Dr. Hoel has been a pioneer in engineering planning and design of surface transportation, with emphasis on integration of highway and transit systems into a more seamless, multifaceted infrastructure. He is the co-editor of the widely used graduate textbook Public Transportation and co-author of the popular undergraduate textbook Traffic and Highway Engineering. He is also co-editor of the noted text, Public Transportation. His research contributions have resulted in over 150 publications and have been recognized for innovation and distinction.

The course of numerous organizations took shape though the dedication and support of Dr. Hoel. He was one of the founding members of CUTC where he served on the executive committee and as President. Leadership and commitment have been the ongoing practice of Dr. Hoel's work. He is a member of the TRB executive committee and was the Chairman of the TRB Executive Committee in 1986. He has also served as Chairman of TRB Division A Council and serves as the TRB Division Chair for NRC Oversight representing TRB on the Governing Board of the National Research Council.

Dr. Hoel's numerous awards and accomplishments have been a hallmark of his distinguished career. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for outstanding contributions and leadership to urban public transportation research and education.

All of Dr. Hoel's achievements result from an intense professional dedication that has benefited countless students, professionals, public officials, and others throughout the world. His work and leadership have resulted in a lasting legacy to the transportation profession in Virginia and the nation. He has been and continues to be a cornerstone of the transportation community.