Roger P. and D. Kathleen Snoble Endowed Geography Scholarship

The Roger P. and D. Kathleen Snoble Endowed Scholarship was established with a gift from the Snobles in March 2010. Originally named The Roger P. and D. Kathleen Snoble Endowed Scholarship for Geography and Planning, the scholarship was revised in April 2019 to provide support to University of Akron students with special consideration given to those pursuing careers in transportation, urban and regional planning/operations, or civil engineering. Students should also have a desire to help plan and build better urban environments. Funds will be designated toward student scholarships or travel to attend national conferences.

Roger P. Snoble grew up in Elyria, Ohio, and received a bachelor’s degree in education in 1968 and a master’s degree in economic geography in 1971 from The University of Akron.

Kit Snoble is originally from Richland, Washington, and after moving to California, developed a successful career as a senior technology analyst, mortgage banker and consultant. She and Roger were married in 1975 in San Diego, California. The Snobles have two adult children and are the proud grandparents of a grandson. They have traveled several times to East Africa on safari and support wildlife conservation. Roger is the founding Board Chair of the African Conservation Fund and continues to serve on its board. The Snobles have retired and live in Ranch Mirage, California.

During the course of Roger Snoble’s distinguished 43-year career in the transit industry, he has been instrumental in effectively delivering public transportation services in several of the nation’s largest and most vital cities. Beginning his career in 1965 as a planner for the TriCounty Regional Planning Commission in Akron, he later worked as a planner for Akron Metro Transit District from 1971-1973. In 1973, he left Akron to assume the position of Manager of Planning and Scheduling for San Diego Transit Corporation, where he worked for 20 years and was ultimately promoted in 1978 to President and General Manager. In 1994, Snoble was named President/Executive Director of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit District (DART) where under his leadership DART Rail and the Trinity Railroad Express were both put into operation. In 2001, he was chosen as Los Angles MTA’s new CEO, a post he held until his retirement in April of 2009.

As a result of Roger Snoble’s professionalism and vision, he earned several honors, including selection as the 1998 Transit Manager of the Year by The American Public Transit Association. The DART organization was named Transit Agency of the Year in 1997 under his leadership. Likewise, Los Angles Metro was recognized as Transit Agency of the Year in 2006.

Since retirement, Snoble has maintained his involvement with students interested in the transportation and urban planning industries, and as served as a guest lecturer during the Fall 2009 semester as part of the University’s transportation geography and planning course taught via long distance learning.

“The University of Akron and the people associated with it gave me a fantastic foundation upon which to establish a very long, successful and rewarding career. It is my hope that this endowment will help others to do the same and help them to create better places for man to thrive.”-Roger Snoble

Candidates for The Roger P. and D. Kathleen Snoble Endowed Scholarship must be pursuing a degree or certificate under the Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies, or a degree in civil engineering or economics. Students pursuing a certificate in Transportation Engineering are also eligible for consideration. First consideration will be given to students aiming to better serve the public and urban geographical centers. Applicants must be in good academic standing and may be enrolled full or part-time. Recipient selection will be made by the University Scholarship Committee based on the aforementioned criteria.