From Highways to Higher Education
Throughout his career at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and now as a research faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, Joseph Szczur (BSCET ’84) has helped transform roadways and build community. On March 19, the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP) will recognize Szczur’s contributions to the region with its prestigious 2026 William Metcalf Award.
Since 1880, the ESWP has championed engineering excellence throughout Western Pennsylvania. Dedicated to promoting, developing, and supporting engineers and industries around the region, the organization established the Metcalf Award in 1963 to celebrate William Metcalf, a 19th-century engineer and draftsman at the Fort Pitt Foundry and an expert in steel production who helped transform the Pittsburgh region.
For Szczur, the award is a great honor, one that he traces back to his childhood. “When I was growing up in Geistown, Pennsylvania, a stretch of Route 219 [a four-lane highway that ran near the borough] was being built. My dad liked to take our family on drives to look at the construction,” Szczur said. “I was fascinated by it all, by the massive earth movers and other machinery.”
At the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Szczur earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology in 1984. After graduating, he took a job with PennDOT, in District 10, which comprises Jefferson, Clarion, Butler, Armstrong, and Indiana counties.
“In District 10, I was a highway designer, a highway design squad leader, a permit engineer, a traffic engineer, a maintenance program engineer, and the Assistant District Executive of Design and Construction,” Szczur said.
Working at PennDOT was a dream come true. Szczur never lost his fascination with road construction and traffic engineering, and now he was helping lead projects and innovate how roads are designed. He got to collaborate with the very individuals who, as a boy, he watched moving the earth and pouring concrete. “It was important to talk to the people responsible for the actual construction.”
In 2004, Szczur was appointed District Executive to District 12, which makes up Westmoreland, Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties. He thought it would be a short stint but stayed there until retiring in 2020.
“During my time with PennDOT, I had the fortune to work on so many different projects and collaborate with so many great people across nine counties,” said Szczur, who in 2014 was recognized by the Swanson School as a Distinguished Alumnus.
“Joe Szczur's career of public service exemplifies what every engineer should strive to achieve,” said Mark Magalotti, research professor of civil and environmental engineering. “He has used his skills in design, construction, maintenance, and research of transportation infrastructure to advance our region's vitality and future. Anyone who has had the privilege of working with him knows that he has done this through his incredible technical and management skills.”
After retiring from PennDOT, Szczur was recruited to the Swanson School as a research faculty member. The same year he retired, he began what he calls his second career.
Szczur’s years of practical experience and insight have been a tremendous resource for faculty and students alike. So has his ability to collaborate with regional stakeholders. Szczur directs Pitt’s Center for Sustainable Transportation and the Impactful Resilient Infrastructure Science and Engineering (IRISE) consortium, two organizations that work with agencies and partners to innovate and develop sustainable roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.
“Joe is a recognized leader in transportation innovation,” said Julie Vandenbossche, professor of civil and environmental engineering and the department’s Associate Chair of Research. “After spearheading many forward-thinking, award-winning initiatives at PennDOT, we were fortunate to have Joe join us as the director of IRISE. His leadership has been instrumental in uniting the public sector, private industry, and academia to develop and deploy technology that enhances the resilience and durability of our transportation infrastructure.”
“Joe has been an invaluable addition to our department, the Swanson School, and the Pitt community,” said Vikas Khanna, professor and interim department chair of civil and environmental engineering. “The impact he has had on our region and our program here at Pitt cannot be overstated. His work embodies the innovation and dedication that the Metcalf Award celebrates.”
“Joe is a valued colleague and friend,” added Daniel Cessna, President of CDR Maguire Engineering. “He has always set a high standard and pushed his team and industry to strive for great things. This is a fitting honor for Joe’s significant contributions to the transportation industry in Pennsylvania.”
ESWP will honor Szczur and other remarkable engineers and engineering projects at its annual award banquet on March 19, 2026, at the Westin Hotel in Pittsburgh.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined receiving this award. It’s humbling to be named among all these incredible recipients,” Szczur said. “You know, 60 years ago, I’m playing road construction with Tonka trucks in a patch of dirt by my parents’ backyard. Who knew?”
Joe credits his wonderful wife, Lisa, his three adult children and their spouses, and his four grandchildren for helping to shape his life and career, following in his parents’ footsteps that family is the foundation to life.