Class of 2024: Civil and environmental engineering outstanding senior AJ Joseph is dedicated to serving through transportation

Name: AJ Joseph

Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Hometown: McLean, Virginia

Plans after graduation: Staying at Virginia Tech to pursue a master’s degree in transportation infrastructure and systems engineering

Favorite Hokie memories: It would be impossible to choose just one, but all of the ones that come to mind have a common thread: the people at Virginia Tech. I was lucky enough to sit in front of some really cool people in Intro to Civil Engineering during my sophomore year and they have become some of my closest friends. Running into my freshman year neighbors from East Ambler Johnston, bumping into friends from a student organization, wearing a Marching Virginians jacket across the Drillfield, or exchanging a wave with every Blacksburg Transit (BT) bus that drives by has made Virginia Tech home and I am glad that I have another year to savor it.

I have played tenor saxophone in the Marching Virginians and Pep Band all four years at Virginia Tech. I haven’t missed a home football or men’s basketball game since 2021 and it is bittersweet to know that I probably will not be that close to the field in Lane Stadium again for a long time. 

Marching towards a master's

The Outstanding Senior for the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is chosen for their leadership skills, dedication to extra-curricular activities, and their academic achievement. The 2024 Outstanding Senior is AJ Joseph.

Joseph’s undergraduate career at Virginia Tech has been molded by the people he has encountered. His closest friends are those he met in his freshman year dorm, in his introductory civil engineering classes, and as a saxophone player in the Marching Virginians. He became a civil and environmental engineering ambassador and is on the College of Engineering Dean’s Team so he can share the meaningful relationships he has formed at Virginia Tech with prospective students and families. These prestigious positions allow him to serve as a representative for the department and college to help recruit future engineers. 

“I have been so lucky to be surrounded by incredibly supportive peers, faculty, and staff who have pushed me to be the best version of myself every day at Virginia Tech,” said Joseph. “Our community is special. Hokies help Hokies. Hokies smile. I always wear something with a VT logo and look out for it when traveling because of that bond we have as Hokies that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

Solving the puzzle of transportation

Joseph knew he wanted to work in the transportation field since he was a child.

“The Thomas the Tank Engine fascination never ended. It grew up with me,” said Joseph, who would cover his living room floor with wooden trains mimicking maps of the Washington, D.C. Metro, New York Subway, and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. He said that eventually he learned he could have a career playing with trains, buses, and cars. That career was called transportation engineering. 

At Virginia Tech, he instantly felt at home in his transportation engineering courses. He has developed positive relationships with professors and said he plans to keep in touch with them following graduation. In the near future, that will be easier as he is staying at Virginia Tech to pursue a master’s degree in transportation infrastructure and systems engineering.

Following his graduate degree, Joseph aspires to work in planning and operations for a transit agency to move people as safely, comfortably, and efficiently as possible. 

Lifelong bonds

As a bus driver for Blacksburg Transit and a teaching assistant for Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering, it has been rewarding for Joseph to see his students talk amongst themselves. Some of his best friends were made during that exact class when he was a sophomore and he enjoys seeing his students form those same bonds.

For his master’s degree, Joseph hopes to further explore multimodal transportation planning.

“This field has been mentioned in my classes, but most of my familiarity with it comes from experiencing campus and Blacksburg on foot, on the bus, and in my car,” he said. “I probably spend too much time thinking about how to improve transportation on campus.”

As he graduates with his bachelor’s degree and looks to the future, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) remains his mission.

“Serving one’s community is at the heart of the civil engineering profession, and I am excited to further my lifelong passion for transportation by working to improve people’s quality of life.”