CEE at Illinois Professor Rahim Benekohal received the John LaPlante Past President Award by the Institute of transportation Engineers (ITE) Illinois Section. This award is given to an individual with outstanding professional service to ITE, and was awarded at the 2025 ILITE Annual Banquet in Chicago on Jan 30, 2025.
Former student and CEE alumnus Brian Robers introduced Benekohal at the ceremony, and presented him with the award plaque.
Founded in 1930, ITE is an international professional society of more than 13,000 transportation engineers, planners, and others responsible for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods on our streets, highways, and transit systems. The Illinois Section of ITE is part of the Great Lakes District.
Benekohal has been on the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois since 1987. He conducts research in traffic flow modeling and simulation, traffic flow theory, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), traffic signals, traffic networks, transportation systems evaluation, work zone traffic operation and safety, rail highway grade crossing, LED roadway lighting and traffic safety.