Professor Snehamay Khasnabis retires

Snehamay Khasnabis retired at the end of the winter 2010 semester after 35 years of service as professor, chairperson, and associate dean. He plans to spend more time with family, including his six grandchildren.

Khasnabis enjoyed an illustrious career at the College. During his long tenure, he taught a variety of courses in transportation engineering at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and earned the respect of students and faculty for his in-depth teaching style. Among his many honors at Wayne State are multiple teaching awards, including the Excellence in Teaching Award and the Outstanding Faculty Service Award given by the College. While at Wayne State, he directed many research projects sponsored by various agencies, including the U.S. Department of Transportation, Michigan Department of Transportation, National Research Council, NextEnergy, and University Transportation Center programs at University of Wisconsin, University of Michigan, University of Detroit Mercy, and University of Toledo.

Khasnabis' research encompassed such areas as transportation planning, traffic engineering, transit operation, Intelligent Transportation Systems and highway safety. He published the results of his research in the journals of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Transportation Research Board, as well as in Transportation Quarterly and Transportation Research, and presented his work at many national and international conferences. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society for Engineering Education, Transportation Research Board, the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Engineering Society of Detroit. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Michigan and recently was vice president of the Michigan Intelligent Transportation Society.

One of the few Fulbright Research Scholars in the College, Khasnabis held a Fulbright appointment during the 2004 to 2005 academic year when he started collaborative research with faculty members at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay on transportation asset management. This ongoing effort resulted in a number of journal articles and conference presentations.

Khasnabis served both the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the College in several administrative positions. He was chairperson of the department (1983-87) and associate dean of research for the College (2001-2007). During his tenure as associate dean, College research spending increased from $12 million in 2001 to $17.1 million in 2005.
Khasnabis, affectionately known as "Dr. K," developed a legacy in the department with students and faculty alike as a superb professional, committed researcher, and caring friend. He plans to remain in Metro Detroit.

Adapted from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Fall Newsletter

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