In memoriam: William R. McShane

The entire NYU Tandon community mourns the November 11th passing of Professor Emeritus William R. McShane.

Bill, as he was universally known to friends and colleagues, began his relationship with NYU Tandon as a student, earning his doctoral degree in systems engineering in 1968, at a time when the school was known as the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.

He then served as a faculty member for almost four decades, retiring in 2006. From 1998 to 2003, he also stepped in to serve as dean, a post that gave him responsibility for academics and research at multiple campuses.

Bill taught a variety of subjects, including systems engineering and introductory mechanical engineering, but most of his research and teaching focused on transportation, and he was the co-author of the seminal text Traffic Engineering, originally published in 1990 and now in its fifth edition.

When news of Bill’s passing reached Tandon, there was an outpouring of memories from all quarters, with those lucky enough to know and work with him sharing the part he had played in their lives. 

He will always be remembered here.