SHINYA KIKUCHI

KIKUCHI SHINYA KIKUCHI Professor of Transportation Engineering Dr. Shinya Kikuchi, 69, Chaired Professor of Transportation Systems Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute of Technology in Falls Church, VA, died on December 6, 2012, at Christiana Hospital, DE. Professor Kikuchi grew up in Kobe, Japan and obtained Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Hokkaido University in Sapporo. In 1970 he came to the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied Transportation Systems Engineering and obtained Ph.D. degree in 1974. The next eight years he was in industry, with a consulting company in Seattle and then General Motors in Michigan In 1982 Dr. Kikuchi joined the University of Delaware as Assistant Professor, then advanced to Associate and Full Professor. He taught courses and performed research in areas of urban transportation planning, public transportation systems, traffic engineering and highway design, and logistics. He was a member of the Transportation Research Board and several other professional societies, actively participating in a number of committees and presenting a number of papers. He obtained several awards. In his academic work Kikuchi led many research projects and sponsored a large number of international students in their graduate studies. Several of his students became leading professors and consultants in the US, India, Japan, Serbia and other countries. In 2005 Dr. Kikuchi transferred to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute of Technology as a Charles E. Via Chair Professor and director of its Civil and Environmental Engineering Program at that university's National Capital Region. During his career, Professor Kikuchi published about 30 papers and lectured widely at universities in Japan, Italy, Finland and other countries. He was co-founder of Annual Helsinki Summer School of transportation at Aalto University, where he received his highest professional recognition: in 2010, he received the Honorary Doctoral Degree of Aalto University in Helsinki for his research and lecturing activities. Thus, Dr. Kikuchi leaves a legacy as an accomplished transportation expert, scientist and educator whose students continue to implement his Dr. Kikuchi is survived by his wife of 37 years, Laura and her extensive family in the U.S. as well as several in-laws in Peru. He also has a sister, Mari Yamada and brother Rinya and their families in Japan. Family, colleagues and friends are invited to visit at the Doherty Funeral Home, 3200 Limestone Rd, Pike Creek, Wilmington DE on Wednesday December 12, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. A Mass will be held at St. Barnabas Church, 2800 Duncan Rd. in Wilmington at 11 a.m.