NYU Tandon Professor Michael Horodniceanu Named One of the 10 Most Influential Romanians Living in the U.S.

BROOKLYN, New York, Wednesday, December 5, 2018 – NYU Tandon School of Engineering Professor Michael Horodniceanu, who teaches in the Department of Civil and Urban Engineering and chairs the IDC Innovation Hub, was named by the Ministry for Romanians Abroad as one of the 10 most influential native Romanians now residing in the United States.

Horodniceanu is known in New York City for his tenure as president of the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Capital Construction Program, a post he held from 2008 to 2017, overseeing the completion of the first phase of the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway, the launch of the East Side Access project that will bring Long Island Rail Road trains to Grand Central Terminal, the construction of the new South Ferry Station, and the openings of the Fulton Center and the ambitious extension of the Number 7 line.

He and his fellow honorees — nine also living in the United States and 90 living in other countries with significant Romanian populations — were celebrated at a gala event on November 29, 2018, which was broadcast on Televiziunea Română. The “100 pentru Cenetar” (100 for the Centenary), as the list is known, was compiled in honor of the 100th anniversary of national unification in Romania, when provinces united under one government. Held at the Romanian Athenaeum and organized under the auspices of Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia-Elena Intotero, the ceremony was aimed at highlighting the importance of preserving Romanian culture and promoting Romanian accomplishment.

At NYU Tandon, Horodniceanu — an alumnus who earned his doctoral degree at what was then the Polytechnic Institute of New York in 1978 — is now overseeing a new initiative aimed at actively engaging stakeholders across the construction industry, including developers, designers, contractors, and government officials in formulating innovative approaches to construction challenges facing  industry. His goal for Tandon’s students is to take an active role in hands-on research and to make important connections within the industry.

“I am not surprised that Professor Horodniceanu has earned this wonderful recognition,” said NYU Tandon Dean Jelena Kovačević. “He has been a pivotal figure in our city’s transportation landscape and has devoted much of his career to improving conditions for countless commuters. Now he is helping make our school an important hub of transportation engineering and research for the benefit of New York City and beyond. We are grateful that he has brought his expertise to our region and offer him hearty congratulations on this well-deserved honor.”

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About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, one of the country’s foremost private research universities, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu.