NYU Tandon School of Engineering establishes Innovations Hub

Michael Horodniceanu, Ph.D., P.E., professor within the New York University Tandon School of Engineering’s Department of Urban and Civil Engineering, will lead the newly created Institute of Design and Construction Innovations Hub.

Brooklyn, N.Y. — Committed to maximizing safety, efficiency, and sustainability within the construction sector, the New York University Tandon School of Engineering created the Institute of Design and Construction (IDC) Innovations Hub. The IDC Innovations Hub is chaired by Michael Horodniceanu, Ph.D., P.E., an internationally prominent transportation and construction executive, who is a professor within the Department of Urban and Civil Engineering.

An industry-supported, membership-based entity, the newly endowed center will promote innovation in construction, engineering design, and management. Member firms will leverage the Innovation Hub’s resources to improve efficiency, control costs, and help identify innovative solutions that emphasize sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and safety.

The IDC Innovations Hub aims to play a long-term, instrumental role in helping industry leaders create vibrant and sustainable communities where people want to live and work – while grooming a new generation of engineers to take on emerging challenges facing the construction industry.

“It is such a thrill to be back at NYU Tandon to share my experience with colleagues and students that was gained in both the private and public sectors during a career that has spanned four decades,” said Horodniceanu. “I am incredibly excited to be given the opportunity to work with industry partners in building the IDC Innovations Hub with the goal of making a positive difference in the design and construction world.”

Serving as a model of partnership between industry and research, the IDC Innovations Hub sets in motion an exciting and new collaborative platform for industry advancement and modernization. The Innovations Hub will apply the research capabilities and hands-on industry experience of its faculty to help construction leaders overcome vexing issues that often trigger cost overruns and schedule delays. Assisted by a team of PhD and Masters-level students, the center will:

• Help industry executives devise creative solutions to sensitive project design and construction issues. As a university-backed organization, the Innovations Hub’s problem-solving process will take place in a bias-free environment;
• Provide access to consultancy services from experienced and independent experts for specific projects;
• Sponsor in-depth informational seminars on topics ranging from organizational and leadership issues to best practices in the selection of materials and machinery;
• Support a range of training programs provided by academics and industry leaders;
• Promote networking opportunities among a wide spectrum of organizations spanning the construction sector, such as local, state, and federal government agencies; utilities, hospitals, airlines. manufacturers and developers; architecture, engineering and construction service providers; and labor organizations; and
• Serve as a national clearinghouse for sharing information on consulting and construction opportunities.

“NYU Tandon is a leader in the academics of construction engineering and management,” said Jelena Kovačević, Dean, NYU Tandon School of Engineering. “With Michael Horodniceanu leading this new endeavor, we look to greatly enhance the synergies between academia and practical experience in the built environment, offering unique opportunities for our students and the sharing of newly gained knowledge with our member firms.”

Horodniceanu brings more than 40 years of academic and industry leadership to his role as IDC Innovations Hub chair. His academic credentials include teaching positions at NYU Tandon (formerly Polytechnic University) and Manhattan College. He also served as chairman and CEO of the former Urbitran Group, a multidisciplinary transportation planning, design, and construction management firm. He currently is principal of Urban Advisory Group, where he is a senior consultant to contractors, architecture and engineering firms, developers, and government agencies.

Horodniceanu’s widely recognized public sector experience includes service as Commissioner of New York City’s Bureau of Traffic from 1986 to 1990, where he was responsible for street reconstruction citywide, as well as management of the city’s traffic operations. From 2008 through 2017, he was president of New York’s MTA Capital Construction. With a budget exceeding $20 billion, MTA Capital Construction ranks as America’s largest transportation construction program. Bearing responsibility for many of the world’s most complex urban infrastructure programs, among the projects within Horodniceanu’s domain were the $12 billion East Side Access project, the $4.5 billion Second Avenue Subway, the $2.4 billion Number 7 Line Extension, and the $1.4 billion Fulton Street Transit Center.

As the school semester proceeds, the IDC Innovations Hub will announce further details about its structure and operations, including members of its Board of Directors and Advisory Committee.