In Loving Memory of - Morgan State University

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Prof. Kikuchi started working with FHWA Intersection Safety Research staffmembers ever since his appointment to the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civiland Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Virginia Tech in August of 2005. From2005 to 2012, eight graduate students from the Virginia Tech Capital RegionCampus rotated through our staff research program, six of them were Prof.Kikuchi’s students.I have worked and am still working with his first and last graduate students.These students worked on a wide range of research topics – alternativeintersection designs (double crossover diamond intersection, displaced left turnintersection, restriction crossing U-Turn intersection, mini-roundabout), statisticalanalysis of crash data, eye tracking study, etc. They also participated in technicalsupport activities to state and local transportation agencies. Prof. Kikuchi’snationwide and global reputation enabled him to attract and keep talentedgraduate students. His students contributed tremendously to the success of ourintersection safety R&D program (including publication of about half dozenresearch papers), the one student who deserves particular mention is Dr. NopadonKronprasert, Prof. Kikuchi’s first and last Ph.D. student.Prof. Kikuchi is very knowledgeable about the future needs of moderntransportation system. He has a version of how to plan and design the futurepublic transit system with uncertainty factors built-in so that it can help deliver thedesired level of mobility for all models of travel, remember getting commuters touse the public transit system instead of driving their own vehicles in itself is ahuge contribution of reducing traffic congestion, pollution, and improving safety.Prof. Kikuchi is a role model for many us. He cared deeply about the wellbeing ofhis students. Despite his level of international recognition, he is humble andapproachable. He listened to the needs of his sponsoring agencies and alwaysresponded in a timely and positive manner. Nopadon Kronprasert and EleftheiaKontou, the two students who are working with me right now spent countlesshours with Prof. Kikuchi in the hospital room, and at him home; giving himcomfort and providing relieve to his wife – a testimony of the close relationshipthat Prof. Kikuchi developed with his students.Prof. Kikuchi, may you rest in peace, and let your students carry on your visionand dream.In memory of Professor Shinya KikuchiI first met Professor Kikuchi in 2009 at TRB Annual Meeting, where I presented a studyon the Twin Cities Streetcar system. I vividly remember when the session endedProfessor Kikuchi walked to me with a warm smile, expressed his interest in myresearch, and invited me to speak on a similar topic in his class.Later, I had a chance to stop by his campus office, and had a dinner with him. Wechatted about our research and life. As a young foreigner who just received a PHD intransportation, started an industrial job, and looked for opportunities to get back toacademia, I saw a lot of similarities between us, and regarded him as a mentor who canguide me in my career. After the dinner, at about 8:30pm when we departed in front ofhis office building, he was heading back to his office to my surprise. "I still have somework to do." He explained, "Look at this building - many lights are still on . We allwork hard here."A couple of months later, I was invited to speak in his class and dined with him onceagain. From then on we kept contact through correspondences. On September 27, 2012,only a couple of weeks before he passed away, he responded to my e-mail in which Imentioned of my ongoing work on multimodal studies in the Washington DC region.He says, "I am interested in hearing more about multi-modal bus terminal studies. Ilook for the opportunities for you to speak in my class in the near future." At that time Ididn't know he had been sick for a while. One can imagine how shocked and sad I waswhen I heard of his death!Although Professor Kikuchi passed away, I know he left himself in the lives of manypeople. His family will miss a dear member, his university a valuable professor andformer department chair, and his colleagues a precious friend. As a young man whogot to know him only a couple of years ago, I see his ardent support towards studentsand young professionals, and I see his hard work, dedication, and drive for academicexcellence. His memory will always be warm in my heart, because I know he is thetype of compassionate and intellectual person I strive to be.Feng Xie, Ph.D.Metropolitan Washington Council of GovernmentsWei Zhang, Ph.D.FHWA Office of Safety R&D2425
Professor Shinya Kikuchi and I met almost a quarter of a century ago in the fall of 1988just after graduating from IIT Kharagpur in India. I was then a master’s student inearly twenties with a confident but carefree attitude ready to experience America andalso to collect a Master’s degree on the way. He was then, and remained forever, anextremely hardworking, supremely disciplined and scholarly academic. Our approachto learning (if I had one) were diametrically opposite and in those initial days andmonths I did not like being in University of Delaware and I am certain he hatedhimself for offering me an assistantship to do master’s at the Department of CivilEngineering at the University of Delaware.Over the next year things changed and he through his diligence and an almost pious,hermit-like dedication to research and learning changed me completely. I started likingacademics again. I became disciplined and hard-working. That summer, together withVijay Perincherry and couple of others we taught ourselves the Theory of Fuzzy Sets. Irealized how scholarly Prof. Kikuchi was and my respect for him grew. I hoped thenthat he started seeing in me an acceptable student. I finished my master’s degree andcontinued to work with him for a Ph.D.In the five years I spent with him as a student I learnt the values of hard-work,modesty, simplicity of approach towards even the most complex of problems,fearlessness in accepting ones limitations, confidence in asserting what one knew, andthe importance of trying to get ones point of view across as clearly as possible. He wasmy Guru and I sincerely hope I have been able to become, at least in some smallmeasure, his true disciple.I have visited University of Delaware many times after moving to India in 1993. Theclose-to-two years that I spent between 1995 and 2002 brought us even closer and webecame good friends. In these years he got to know my family. Till his last days heaffectionately referred to my son as Bob because my son Promit, who is now fourteen,as a three-year old used to identify himself with Bob-the-Builder.There are so many memories. I can go on forever.Rest in peace, Professor Kikuchi; I will always miss you.Your student foreverPartha Chakroborty, ProfessorIndian Institute of Technology Kampur, IndiaHis Student from University of DelawareDear Dr. Kikuchi,It was a day in summer. You visited a Japanese university and you somehow gave achance to a young student to have a conversation with him in your busy trip schedule.It was perhaps a small thing to you just for chatting with a young student, but it was astart of big change for the student’s life.One day you gave him a chance to enroll in your university and work for you as aresearch assistant. He happily became your assistant, but it was very hard for him tosatisfy your needs. You were very tough and harsh to your assistants. He workedhard but you kept calling him “a bad student” and you often brought other students’names and explained how they are good students.However, one day, he saw that you were doing the same thing to the other goodstudent. At that time, he knew that it was the way how you cheer young students.Since then, he received your hard words as “get up and catch up” to move himselfforward. You were trying to teach something important other than academic studiesthere.He eventually graduated the university with a degree. Several years afterward, hevisited your office and found his thesis located next to other good students’ in yourbookshelf. He was so happy to see that and he felt like you finally approved him asyour good student. It was the last time I saw you, Dr. Kikuchi. It was only a fewmonth ago.If I did not meet you there in Hokkaido, I would not be here. If I did not study at youruniversity, I would not meet the great people in this field. If I did not work for you, Iwould not know how to work hard for my life. What you left for me is priceless. I willgo through my life with all of what you gave me. Thanks for all of your gifts to me.You were not only a great professor and but also a great advisor for my life. I missyou a lot.Thank you very much, Dr. Kikuchi. May your soul rest in peace.Sincerely,Mitsuru TanakaYour former student/research assistant from University of Delaware2627
Page 1 and 2: In Loving Memory of
Page 3 and 4: 2His Research PhilosophyI believe t
Page 5 and 6: Professional CareerAs he obtained a
Page 7 and 8: 10It is not certain for me when I m
Page 9 and 10: Professor Shinya Kikuchi had always
Page 11 and 12: 18I greatly appreciate being invite
Page 13: 22I write this on 8 th January, coi
Page 17 and 18: Of all the things Dr. Shinya Kikuch
Page 19: “The first time I talked with Dr.

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