26th Annual NJDOT Research Showcase

In-Person and Virtual October 23, 2024 

“Pathways to Sustainability”

To view a live stream of today’s event, click here.

The 26th Annual New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Research Showcase is an opportunity for New Jersey’s transportation community to experience the broad scope of ongoing academic research initiatives and share technology transfer activities being conducted by institutions of higher education (IHE) partners and their associates. It also serves to highlight the benefits of transportation research, including NJDOT’s own program. As part of the event, the annual implementation award and recognition of outstanding university students studying in a transportation-related field will be presented. The agenda will include a general session, topical breakout sessions, and a poster display area. Continental breakfast and buffet lunch will be provided.

This year’s event will be held in-person at Mercer County Community College – The Conference Center at Mercer, in West Windsor, NJ. The event will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. PDH credit will only be provided to in-person attendees. You will be asked to select in-person attendance or virtual attendance when you register. Information on accessing the livestream will be provided in registration reminder emails.

The registration deadline is October 18, 2024.

All NJDOT personnel should follow internal procedures for permission to attend. Capital Program Management will have an approved list of attendees.  Please ensure your name is on it prior to registering.

*When registering, NJDOT personnel will be asked to identify which Assistant Commissioner their unit reports to:

1. Reporting to Assistant Commissioner for Capital Program Management (CPM)
   Includes Highway & Traffic Design, Traffic Engineering, Pavement & Drainage Management, Right of Way & Access Management, Capital Program Support, Project Management, Bridge Engineering & Infrastructure Management, Maritime, Construction & Materials, and Construction & Materials/Alternative Project Delivery.
2. Reporting to Assistant Commissioner for Local Resources and Community Development (LRCD)
   Includes Local Aid & Economic Development, Community Development, Aeronautics and Modal Grants, Major Access Permits, and Environmental Resources.
3. Reporting to Assistant Commissioner for Statewide Planning, Safety, and Capital Investment (SPSCI)
   Includes Statewide Planning, Safety, and Capital Investment.
4. Reporting to Assistant Commissioner ​for Operations (OPS)
   Includes Transportation Mobility, Mobility Engineering, Operations Support & Engineering, and Emergency Management.

AGENDA

9:30 a.m.
Introduction and Housekeeping
David Maruca, Program Development Administrator
Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation

9:40 a.m.
Welcoming Remarks
Eric Powers, Assistant Commissioner Statewide Planning, Safety and Capital Investment
New Jersey Department of Transportation

9:45 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Francis “Fran” O’Connor, Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Transportation

9:55 a.m.  
Opening Remarks
Sutapa Bandyopadhyay, Planning and Program Development Manager
Federal Highway Administration New Jersey Division

10:00 a.m.  
Keynote Address
Jim Tymon, Executive Director
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

10:40 a.m.
Break

10:50 a.m.  
Panel Discussion
How is NJDOT creating pathways to sustainability?

Moderator:
David Maruca, Program Development Administrator
Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation

Panelists:

• Alex Borovskis, Director
  Construction and Materials
• Robert Blight, Executive Manager
  Pavement & Drainage Management and Technology Bureau
• Krishna Tripathi, Project Management Specialist 3
  Project Management
• Mohab Hussein, Supervising Engineer
  Bureau of Structural Design & Geotechnical Engineering
• Sushant Darji, Principal Engineer Planning
  Bureau of Statewide Strategies
• Giri Ventikeela, Innovation Officer
  Bureau of Research, Innovation & Information Transfer

11:45 a.m.
Presentation of 2024 Awards

Presenter:
Pragna Shah, Acting Manager
Bureau of Research, Innovation and Information Transfer
New Jersey Department of Transportation

• 2024 Outstanding University Student in Transportation Research Award
• 2024 NJDOT Research Implementation Award
• 2024 Best Poster Award
• 2024 Research Champion Award
• 2024 NJDOT Build a Better Mousetrap Award
• 2024 National High Value Research Award

12:00 p.m.  
Buffet Lunch/Break

1:00 p.m.  
Concurrent breakout sessions

Safety Breakout Session 

• 1:10 PM – 1:30 PM – Towards UAS-based Real-time Video Streaming and Data Analytics for Estimating Highway Traffic Flow Characteristics, presented by Meiyin Liu, Rutgers University
• 1:40 PM – 2:00 PM –  Enhancing Vulnerable Road User Safety in Urban Streets Using LiDAR and Crossing Warning System by Joyoung Lee, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• 2:10 PM – 2:30 PM – Improving Emergency Response Time Through Dynamic Traffic Event Recognition: A Data-Driven Model Leveraging Waze Alerts, presented by Dejan Besenski, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• 2:40 PM – 3:00 PM – Developing a Pedestrian-Scale Lighting Resource to Improve Safety for Vulnerable Road Users  presented by Ruqaya Alfaris and Greg Woltman, Rowan University

Infrastructure Breakout Session 

• 1:10 PM – 1:30 PM – Evaluation of Performance of Bridge Deck with UHPC and LMC Overlays through Accelerated Testing, presented by Nenad Gucunski, Rutgers University
• 1:40 PM – 2:00 PM –  Complex Simulation of Large Ship Impacts on Bridges presented by Anil Agrawal, City College of New York
• 2:10 PM – 2:30 PM – Sustainability and Resilience Infrastructure Systems presented by Indira Prasad, Stevens Institute of Technology
• 2:40 PM – 3:00 PM – Cost-Effective Pavement Management System for Municipalities in New Jersey, presented by Surya Teja Swarna, and Yusuf Mehta, Rowan University

Sustainability Breakout Session 

• 1:10 PM – 1:30 PM – How Concrete is Becoming a Carbon Sponge presented by Mohamed Maghoub and Mohab Hussein, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• 1:40 PM – 2:00 PM –  Development of Pavement Design Procedures and Construction Specifications for Cold Central Plant Recycling (CCPR) Asphalt Mixtures presented by Abhary Eleyedath, Rowan University
• 2:10 PM – 2:30 PM – Towards Use of Stabilized New York Harbor Sediments as a Sustainable Alternative to Traditional Infrastructure Materials: A Laboratory and Numerical Study presented by Tyler Oathes, Rutgers University
• 2:40 PM – 3:00 PM – Life-cycle Assessment of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) Beams Using Advanced Monitoring Technologies presented by Fatemeh Mohammadi Ghahsareh, Stevens Institute of Technology

This program is organized by the NJDOT Bureau of Research, Innovation & Information Transfer in partnership with the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT). It meets requirements for up to 2 professional development hours (PDHs) for continuing professional competency for licensed professional engineers. AICP credit is under review. The 26th Annual Research Showcase is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and New Jersey Department of Transportation.