Professor Rob Traver Appointed Edward A. Daylor Chair in Civil Engineering
Dr. Robert Traver
Villanova University Professor Robert Traver, PhD, PE, D.WRE, F.EWRI, F.ASCE, ’82 MSCE has been appointed the Edward A. Daylor Chair in Civil Engineering. A position previously held by Professor Ronald Chadderton, PhD, who retired in May 2015, Dr. Traver was recommended by the College of Engineering and accepted by University Provost Patrick G. Maggitti, PhD.
A nationally and internationally recognized leader in water resources management, Dr. Traver is the founding director of the Villanova Center for the Advancement of Sustainability in Engineering (VCASE) and the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership (VUSP). He holds the distinctions of Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer and Fellow in both the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). Widely published in highly respected journals, in 2010 Dr. Traver co-authored the National Resources Council report on Urban Stormwater in the United States.
A member of the ASCE’s external panel charged with investigating the failure of New Orleans’s levee system during Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Traver co-authored the follow-up report “What Went Wrong and Why.” He also is cited for his work in spearheading “Flood Risk Management – Call for a National Strategy,” a comprehensive report made available to the public in 2014. That same year, the ASCE honored Dr. Traver with its William H. Wisely American Civil Engineer Award, which recognizes individuals who have exhibited continuing efforts to better the technical and professional activities of the Society.
Though he spends time serving nationally on numerous committees and task forces, Dr. Traver’s top priority is Villanova. At the University, he is recognized as a dedicated teacher who brings his research into his graduate and undergraduate classes. Throughout his career, he has successfully obtained external funding to support both his research and 40 graduate students who have come through the program. He also has been a mentor to several young faculty members.
Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering Gary A. Gabriele, PhD, congratulates Dr. Traver on this well-deserved honor and notes: “Rob is known worldwide for his expertise in water resource management, and at the same time is a highly respected teacher and mentor. As the leader of VCASE he has built a very strong research team that is having a positive impact on urban stormwater management in the Philadelphia region and beyond.”
Dr. Traver responds, “I am honored to follow the legacy of Drs. Christenson and Chadderton. The support of the Daylor family is appreciated, and will be used to strengthen Villanova’s graduate and undergraduate research.”
Inaugurated in 1994, the Edward A. Daylor Chair was first held by Professor G. Lee Christensen, PhD, who retired in 2002. The chair was subsequently held by Dr. Chadderton. Being selected as an endowed chair is a prestigious honor for accomplished professors, recognizing leadership in their respective field and loyalty to the University and their department. In addition to acknowledging top professors, the position also provides flexible resources to support the chair holder’s research, adding to Villanova’s pioneering innovation and discovery.
The College of Engineering has four funded endowed chairs; most recently, Nance Dicciani, PhD, ’69 ChE, established an endowed chair in chemical engineering. The College has a goal to establish an endowed chair in all five engineering disciplines before the end of the Villanova Campaign to Ignite Change.