Session & Presenter Information

Learn more about the sessions at the summit below!

OVERVIEW

The Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE) established the Innovative Technology Program to be funded at $2 M per year. Following local consult conversations in 2019, it was clear that Kansas should leverage innovative technology investment opportunities to position the state for the future. The Innovative Technology Program provides financial assistance to partners for innovative technology projects that improve safety, leverage state funds to increase total technology investment and help both rural and urban areas of the state improve the transportation system. Join this panel as the discuss the program and answer your questions!

PANEL

CALVIN REED

Calvin Reed is Secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation. Governor Laura Kelly appointed him to this position in June 2023 after he served as Acting Secretary for six months at the Governor’s request. Calvin started with KDOT in 2002 as a bridge designer and has served his entire career in the transportation industry, including over five years in the private sector as an engineering consultant. Prior to assuming leadership of the agency, Secretary Reed had served as Senior Director and Division Director for Engineering and Design at KDOT. Secretary Reed graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and master’s degree in civil engineering, both from Kansas State University.

REPRSENTATIVE PAM CURTIS

Rep. Pam Curtis has represented District 32 in the Kansas House of Representatives since 2014. Rep. Curtis knows the needs and concerns of the 32nd District, having grown up in the district in downtown Kansas City, Kansas. Her parents, Joan and Dick Horton, taught her and her sister, Jana, the values of working hard, helping others, and giving back to the community. It is because of these values that Pam has dedicated her life to public service. Pam has over 25 years experience working in state and local government, having worked for Mayor Jack Reardon as the City’s Arts Administrator and in Economic Development to working for Governor John Carlin as Assistant to the Governor and Director of Constituent Services. From 2005-2013, Pam served as the Chief of Staff for Mayor Joe Reardon during his eight years in office at City Hall. In that role, she worked to help bring projects to our community, including Google Fiber, Cerner/Sporting KC Project, the new Grocery Store Development at 18th & I70, as well as other projects and initiatives to improve our neighborhoods and community. From 2005-2013, Pam served as the Chief of Staff for Mayor Joe Reardon during his eight years in office at City Hall. In that role, she worked to help bring projects to our community, including Google Fiber, Cerner/Sporting KC Project, the new Grocery Store Development at 18th & I70, as well as other projects and initiatives to improve our neighborhoods and community. Pam continues to be an advocate for the entrepreneur and startup community and is an In addition to being a State Representative, Pam continues to serve as Joe Reardon’s Chief of Staff now at the Greater Kansas City Chamber where they work on issues impacting the region. avid promoter of Kansas City as a leader in digital innovation. For 13 years, Pam and her husband, Steve, ran a commercial photography business located in the Cathedral of St. Peter Neighborhood where they lived and across the street from their son’s grade school. A lifelong resident of Wyandotte County, Pam was born at St. Margaret’s Hospital and grew up in the Polish Hill Neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas. She and her husband Steve have been married for 40 years and live in the Cathedral St. Peter’s Neighborhood.

SENATOR J.R. CLAEYS

J.R. Claeys was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 2012 and has built a reputation as a resource for colleagues on topics related to transportation and complex budget issues . He served as chair of the House Transportation and Public Safety Budget Committee and as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation. He is currently the vice chairman of the budget-writing Senate Committee on Ways & Means. J.R. was also a member of the Kansas Transportation Task Force that developed the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, and serves on the Kansas Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force. J.R. is a Senior Advisor in the office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. Before running for elected office for the first time in 2010, J.R. worked in communications, government relations, and executive management for national non-profit trade organizations. He began his career in journalism, winning multiple state and national awards for his work at newspapers and as a news anchor. J.R. is a graduate of the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism at Kansas State University and holds an MPA from the George Washington University School of Business.

KURT CARRAWAY

After serving 25 years with the United States Air Force, retired Colonel Kurt J. Carraway is the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Executive Director of the Applied Aviation Research Center (AARC) and UAS Department Head at Kansas State University’s Salina Campus. In this capacity Carraway provides strategic leadership in advancing Kansas State University’s UAS program goals. He directs the execution of research activities involving UAS through the AARC. Carraway also directs flight operations development and maturation of the UAS training program through direct supervision of the Flight Operations staff. He manages highly skilled UAS professionals that perform hundreds of UAS flights per year in civil airspace. He sets policies and procedures for unmanned flight operations. He serves as Principal Investigator (PI) on UAS activities through the AARC and is the University PI representative to ASSURE, the FAA’s UAS Center of Excellence. Before arriving at Kansas State University, Carraway was stationed at Camp Smith in Oahu, Hawaii where he served first as Joint Operations Director and then Division Chief of Current Operations, both for the U.S. Pacific Command. Carraway worked with the Global Hawk UAS, as an evaluator and instructor pilot, and later became commander of the Global Hawk squadron. Carraway established standard operating procedures and composed technical manuals for the military’s use of the Global Hawk. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Carraway received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Missouri Science and Technology in Rolla, prior to entering the Air Force. During his service, Carraway also completed a Master of Science in Systems Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and a Master of Arts in Management from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. He is married to the former Pamela Savage and has two adult daughters.

AMANDA GRAOR

Amanda Graor is the Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Director of Research Services at the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City. She is responsible for increasing MARC’s capacity to advance regional goals and collaborative initiatives through innovation in public policy and process improvement including the strategic deployment of data and technology. She has been with MARC for over 15 years with work areas over time including air quality, workforce transportation, energy policy and climate strategy. Amanda also spent time as an Economic Mobility Policy Fellow with the Center for Applied Public Research at Johns Hopkins University. She holds a bachelor's degree in Earth System Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan, a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas and a certificate in data visualization from Parsons School of Design.

OVERVIEW

The Great Plains Rural Freight Technology Corridor Project will utilize technology aimed at improving safety and economic productivity along U.S. 83. The project limits extend approximately 131 miles, from the Thomas/Sheridan county line south to the Finney/Haskell county line. The project is leveraging $7 million in Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment grant funding from the Federal Highway Administration. The presentation will provide an overview of the project, discuss early planning efforts that position KDOT to obtain the grant funding, present the technologies being considered for deployment in the corridor and the public engagement process.

PRESENTERS

RAJA GOVINDASWAMY

KDOT Transportation Electrification Manager. Prior to joining KDOT, Raja had 40+ years of Technical/Project & Business Management experience with WSP USA (formerly Parsons Brinckerhoff) as a VP. He pioneered many bridge design innovations for the transportation clients in Kansas and authored numerous papers and publications in professional magazines. He was also the recipient of engineering excellence awards and the Wichita Best Engineer of the Year Award in 2007.

CHUCK MILLER

Chuck Miller is a Senior Project Manager and Fellow in HNTB’s Kansas City office with over 35 years transportation planning, traffic engineering and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) experience. He leads HNTB’s ITS practice in the states of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Chuck has a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Vanderbilt University along with master’s and bachelor's degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Kansas. For the Great Plains Rural Freight Technology Corridor Project Chuck is serving as the consultant team project manager.

SHARI HILLARD

Shari Hilliard is the State ITS Engineer for the Kansas Department of Transportation and has worked for KDOT for eighteen years. She managed the first statewide ITS deployments in Kansas in 2008 and the WICHway Traffic Management Center deployment in 2011. Shari currently heads up the KDOT ITS Bureau. Prior to joining KDOT she worked in electric utility planning and demand forecasting. Ms. Hilliard has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Kansas State University and a Masters in Engineering Management from Kansas State University.

OVERVIEW

Connected Vehicles (CVs) have brought about a wealth of data that can be leveraged by transportation professionals to shape how we plan, prioritize, and monitor transportation infrastructure investments. CV data refers to information generated by vehicles that are equipped with various sensors, telematics systems, and other connected devices. This data typically includes the vehicle's location (GPS coordinate), speed, and heading at a minimum. This session will focus on the use cases and applications of this data for transportation planning, including examples specific to Kansas.

PRESENTERS

CHRIS WICHMAN

Chris is a transportation planning professional with over 10 years experience in the industry. He has lead both regional and statewide transportation planning efforts, as well as managed several sub-area and corridor studies. He has diverse experience in developing decision-support tools and other data-driven business processes, standards and methodologies. The focus of Chris’ career has been on how to leverage data for improved decisions and policy making. He received an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Economics, and Master of Urban Planning from the University of Kansas.

OVERVIEW

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has vastly increased the number of competitive grant programs that fund technology-based projects. States, MPOs, cities, and counties must be strategic in how they apply to ensure they are competitive. Many grant programs are narrowly focused, and pre-NOFO (Notice of Funding Opportunity) planning and action can greatly increase an applicant's chances of success. This presentation with discuss the various grant programs available, funding amounts, who is eligible to apply, and the types of projects applicable. Taylor will also present strategies to increase an applicant's chances of success.

PRESENTER

TAYLOR MCHENY

Taylor brings 10 years of experience specializing in Intelligent Transportation Systems. He completes ITS studies, performs traffic engineering analyses, and undertakes design services. Taylor currently serves as an ITS Embedded Engineer for the Kansas Department of Transportation. He has also performed tasks related to ITS design and planning, QA/QC checks for design and bidding documents, and preparation of written federal grant applications for planning and capital projects.

OVERVIEW

KDOT has begun its second project to collect mobile LiDAR data for the State Highway System, with plans to extract 16 GIS layers. These will be used for a variety of purposes within KDOT, such as establishing or updating asset inventories, or identifying features in need of replacement or modifications. These data will be made available to the public, as with the GIS layers extracted from the 2021 mobile LiDAR collection.

PRESENTER

JAMES STEWART

James Stewart is GIS Manager for the Kansas Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Planning. He has previous experience implementing physical addressing, GIS and Enhanced 9-1-1 at the local level in addition to establishing and managing a statewide process for the State of New Mexico to aggregate and parse out GIS data to public service answering points (PSAPs) for 9-1-1 call location. He has additional experience in managing implementation and modernization projects for complex web applications and data interfaces for state and local governments.

OVERVIEW

Google is widely known for its user-friendly applications, such as Search, Maps, and Gmail, which are powered by artificial intelligence. In this session, we will demonstrate how Google Cloud helps transportation stakeholders by: Predicting incidents based on weather data Understanding video events Operationalizing customer feedback We will also discuss how artificial intelligence is being used in transportation to solve problems. This session will also include a variety of demonstrations that will help transportation stakeholders improve planning, operations, and safety. These demonstrations will showcase the latest technologies and tools that are available to transportation professionals to do their jobs more effectively. Transportation stakeholders will have the opportunity to learn about these technologies and tools and see how they can be used to improve the transportation system.

PRESENTER

WILLIS ZHANG

Willis Zhang is a Google Data Scientist with expertise in Data mining, machine learning, and natural language processing. Mr. Zhang has had a focus on data in transportation asking questions like what combination of weather conditions and road potholes can cause particular safety problems? Mr. Zhang helps governments answer data questions related to workforce engagement, road safety, and building code violations.

OVERVIEW

In recent years, technology has been a major driving force for transformation in the public sector. According to a survey conducted by The Center for Digital Government, 72% of government leaders have invested in modernizing their physical operations, and 56% are planning to upgrade their tech within the next few years - yet many are still struggling to make the shift. In this session, we will dive into the statistics behind the pace of innovation, where public sector agencies know they need to focus, and the roadblocks keeping us from reaching our goals. Join us to learn how, with the right technology partners, through the power of data, you can achieve operational efficiency, reduce risk and costs, and ensure community preparedness and service reliability. You’ll leave the session inspired to lay foundations and strategies to catapult transformations within your organization.

PRESENTER

ANDREW KIMBROUGH

Andrew Kimbrough has been working with public sector organizations in the IT/Cyber-Security space for the better part of 15 years. Having made a transition into transportation technology 1.5 years ago, he nows gets to work with the largest cities, counties, states, and K-16 organizations across the plains states.

OVERVIEW

This session will cover Mid-America Regional Council’s Innovative technology projects that are in the early stages. Session will cover the needs that drove the project scope. Will cover project concept and expected outcomes that will advance the region’s technology. One of the projects will support an innovative approach to the training and advancement of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Flight and Operations training and licensing. The other project will discuss the regional issues with arterial performance measures and discuss innovative tools and technology that will lead to advancements in arterial operations.

PRESENTERS

AMANDA GRAOR

RAY WEBB

Ray has worked for Mid America Regional Council for 15 years as the Traffic Operations Manager for 15 years. Before MARC, ray worked for BWR for 2 years and prior to that with KC scout for 7 years as the Director. Ray work at MoDOT for a total of 17 years (included the KC Scout position) Ray received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology, 1989 and is a registered PE in MO, KS and a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE) Ray lives in Lives in Lees Summit, MO with his wife Jyl of almost 30 years and has three adult kids and a dog. Enjoys bicycling, running, tennis and golf.

OVERVIEW

An overview of the Charge Up Kansas NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) Plan and KDOT's other plans for EV charging across the state.

PRESENTER

TAMI ALEXANDER

Tami Alexander, Transportation Electrification Manager, Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Tami joined KDOT as the Transportation Electrification Manager in May of 2022, to work on state planning for EV charging and electric transportation. Prior to KDOT, she was a Senior Program Coordinator and the Central Kansas Clean Cities Coordinator at Metropolitan Energy Center where she led the Kansas EV Corridor Planning Group. Since 2017, she has worked in the electric and alternative fuel vehicle and infrastructure space on equipment deployments and education for alternative fuels, EVs, and EV charging equipment. Tami earned her undergraduate degrees and a master’s in environmental science from Wichita State University.

OVERVIEW

PNNL is building a publicly available economic planning tool to support charging station development qualifying under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. The tool estimates life-cycle costs including installation and operation costs, revenues, and rebates or tax incentives for a variety of NEVI charging station designs. Station design options include the potential addition of solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS). PV and BESS provide demand charge reduction, a potential burden for charging station owners. This presentation shows preliminary results for variety of NEVI-qualified EV charging system designs in Garden City, KS. Many station configurations become cost-effective over the 10-year study horizon with competitive pricing. Further, with a 60 - 80% NEVI funding rebate for PV and BESS costs, the charging system cost-effective improves over a station design with EV chargers alone.

PRESENTER

CHRISTINE HOLLAND

Christine joined the Energy Policy and Economics group at PNNL in 2020. She is currently working on projects involving battery storage benefits analysis to inform rate-making decisions. Prior to joining PNNL, Christine privately consulted on a variety of projects including the creation of an Energy Data Management System for Maui County, socio-economic analysis to support consumer electricity adoption for Peninsula Clean Energy, PHEV and DHP forecasting for energy marketing firms, and an alternative fuel fleet regulatory review for Maui County. Prior to her consulting, she worked in energy efficiency economics and market transformation, IRP development, and energy marketing. Christine has a Ph.D. in Resource and Environmental Economics from the Agricultural Economics Department at Texas A&M.

OVERVIEW

PRESENTER

TRAVIS BALTHZOR

Travis Balthazor oversees flight instructors and pilots for UAS research, outreach, and flight training at Kansas State University. As Deputy Director, he ensures all flight operations are conducted in accordance with applicable regulations and routinely works with the FAA to gain operational approval for flights that are outside the regulatory constraints. Balthazor holds a master’s degree with a focus in UAS technology. Additionally, he received a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Technology Professional Pilot in addition to a minor in Aviation Safety and an Unmanned Aircraft Systems certificate from Kansas State University. Balthazor holds several manned flight ratings including commercial instrument multi-engine airplane and certified flight instructor instrument airplane. Balthazor also holds faculty instructor status and routinely instructs course offerings to degree-seeking students and instructs professional courses directly to the public. Through these courses, he instructs individuals, companies, and departments to integrate UAS within their respective industries. These courses span many industries but are often directly taught to DOTs, law enforcement, public safety, academia, and power infrastructure.

OVERVIEW

In 2017, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) embarked on their UAS journey when an employee's personal Mavic Pro drone was used to capture project progress of a large river project. Realizing the vast potential of UAS technology, KDOT established a partnership with Kansas State University (KSU) Salina to further develop their UAS program.

Collaborating with KSU Salina, KDOT has successfully trained 36 pilots, equipping them with the necessary expertise to operate UAS effectively and safely. KDOT has integrated a fleet of 20 UAS into their operations, which initially comprised of DJI drones but is now shifting towards Skydio.

The integration of UAS has brought numerous advantages to KDOT. High-resolution imagery and video captured from aerial perspectives have facilitated project progress monitoring, enabling informed decision-making and assessment of ongoing work, including accurate volumetric calculations. UAS utilization has enhanced situational awareness and improved project management efficiency.

KDOT has leveraged UAS for various applications, such as bridge inspections, aerial surveys, roadway condition assessments, and identifying maintenance needs. They have utilized photographic, thermal, and LIDAR data to enhance their operations.

To ensure safe and responsible UAS usage, KDOT diligently adheres to FAA regulations and guidelines while going the extra mile. They conduct regular training sessions and maintain their UAS fleet to optimize performance and minimize risks.

Despite these achievements, KDOT has encountered obstacles hindering quick program integration. Staffing shortages have diverted trained pilots to other priorities, affecting UAS operations. The availability of trained Visual Observers required for missions has also been limited. Moreover, funding for hardware and software upgrades has presented challenges as the program evolves.

Nevertheless, KDOT has successfully harnessed UAS technology and actively strives to implement additional workflows that incorporate UAS-provided upgrades into their operations. By overcoming challenges and pushing forward, KDOT remains committed to leveraging UAS to enhance their transportation management practices.

PRESENTER

ANDREW WILSON

Andrew (AJ) Wilson, born in Ogden, Utah, and raised in Derby, Kansas, is a dedicated professional with a passion for bringing new technology into the realm of civil engineering. He earned his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Kansas State University along with a Minor in Physics. AJ has 15 years of experience at KDOT, 7 of which he has served as the Area Engineer in Winfield, Kansas. In 2017, inspired by a large river project, he purchased a drone to get a better perspective on its progress. This caught the attention of his supervisor, which led to AJ's involvement in introducing UAS technology to KDOT. Outside of work, AJ finds joy in hiking, blackberry gardening, and spending time with his wife and five children.

OVERVIEW

Pavement condition is a top priority for elected officials, local government staff, and the driving public. Historically, the options available to local governments were time-consuming, outdated, and far from fiscally responsible, often using manual data entry methods and requiring a customized can explicitly designed for pavement-condition data collection. New technological advances in cameras, GIS, and software allow local governments to collect pavement condition data affordably, regularly and efficiently. PEC is also leading the way in advancements in bringing local street project designs into a 3D built environment in an effort to improve coordination efforts with local governments. 3D visualizations can also be extremely helpful for public engagement and getting approval from various stakeholders on a project.

PRESENTERS

LUKE PETER

Licensed Professional Engineer with 8 years of experience. Responsible for the design & production of roadway, grading, utility, stormwater, traffic signal, traffic control, pavement marking and signing plans for municipal transportation projects. PTOE licensed traffic engineer with experience analyzing traffic data and recommending solutions in numerous traffic studies. Specializes in corridor modeling, 3D visualizations and traffic engineering.

SHELDON BINA

Sheldon Bina, GISP, is the GIS Manager at Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC). He has over 25 years of GIS and CADD experience, and has degrees from KSU and Fort Hays State University. He specializes in developing applications using ArcGIS Platform to support local government workflows for Public Works, Community Development, and Administration departments.

OVERVIEW

(1) Speak about NOAA Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS), managed by NOAA/National Geodetic Survey, provide Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data, supporting three dimensional positioning, and working to build a CORS network for Kansas.

(2) The Kansas Regional Coordinate System, A Statewide Multiple-Zone Low-Distortion Projection Coordinate System for the State of Kansas.

PRESENTERS

MIKE DILLNER

With over 20 years of industry experience, Mike leads KDOT’s CAD Support team in the Division of Engineering and Design. His career began in Surveys and evolved through additional roles in Road Design, and CAD Support. Extending his experience beyond public service, Mike spent several years in the private sector as a ProjectWise Admin, and Bentley Support Specialist. Instrumental in the implementation of the Kansas Regional Coordinate System, Mike remains a key stakeholder in initiatives leveraging this system. His team plays a vital role in the Agency's engineering-related technology initiatives, including UAS data processing and downstream workflows like immersive (AR) inspection. Now in his fourth year back as CAD Manager, he leverages his broad industry knowledge to drive design innovation.

RON FELDKAMP

Land Survey Manager, KDOT Bureau of Right of Way

JONATHAN BAKER

Survey Cadd Support, KDOT Bureau of Right of Way

Session Brief:

Join K-State flight instructors to witness the demo of flying the DJI M300 and Skydio X2.

PRESENTER

TRAVIS BALTHZOR

OVERVIEW

Nearly 50% of U.S. roads need ground-up reconstruction. Emerging Smart Cities, Internet of Things (IoT), Network Communications, and Mobility technologies are demanding access to the right-of-way which is forcing budget constrained municipalities with a growing backlog of capital improvements to rethink how roadways are designed, constructed and utilized. Integrated Roadways’ vision is to transform roadways into safe, digital, self-sustaining advanced mobility corridors that support existing vehicles and the next-generation of connected, electric, and autonomous vehicles. Utilizing a public-private partnership model, Integrated Roadways works with municipalities and transportation agencies to develop large-scale, long-term digital infrastructure concessions to address two critical issues - how to affordably address the unfunded backlog of traditional public road improvements and provide a holistic solution to meet the growing demand for increased safety, mobility, and sustainability needs. Learn more about the Company’s current Digital Infrastructure Showcase with the City of Lenexa, KS that received a KDOT Innovative Technology program award in 2022, and use cases for Integrated Roadways’ Smart Pavement system.

PRESENTER

MIGUEL JARAMILLO

Miguel Jaramillo has more than 20 years of executive management experience in the public and private sector having worked with companies focused on education, civic leadership, real estate, and transportation. At Integrated Roadways, Mr. Jaramillo is responsible for building large-scale, public-private partnerships (P3) with municipalities, and departments of transportation across the U.S. His work to help Integrated Roadways transform roadways into digital infrastructure systems that improve public safety, mobility, and resiliency is built upon innovation, leadership, and collaboration. Integrated Roadways has been featured in numerous national publications and other media including CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Business Insider’s top startups shaping the future of wireless EV charging, and Fast Company’s “Next Big Things in Tech”.

OVERVIEW

Join in a panel discussion with transportation researchers to learn more about the ongoing innovative endeavors in the field of transportation across the world.

PRESENTERS

HUSAIN AZIZ

Dr. Aziz leads the INC3S — INtelligent Computing for Safe, Smart, and Sustainable — Transportation Research Lab at K-State with core focuses on the modeling, simulation and control of mixed traffic of human and autonomous vehicles in smart cities, shared-used mobility modeling and optimization, and resilient transportation systems. He also serves as the transportation infrastructure theme lead for the Kanasas NSF EPSCoR ARISE project. He received his doctoral degree from Purdue University-West Lafayette with a concentration in transportation infrastructure and systems engineering. Before joining the civil engineering department at K-State in 2019, Aziz held a staff R&D scientist position at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

CHRIS DEPCIK

Dr. Christopher Depcik is an American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellow and Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Kansas (KU). In addition, he has a Courtesy Appointment in the Aerospace Engineering Department. Prior to joining KU, he worked at the University of Michigan (UM) as a post-doctoral research fellow and lecturer. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UM (2003), as well as an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering (2002), and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (1999). He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida (1997). Dr. Depcik’s laboratory conducts research revolving around a sustainable approach to energy and the transportation infrastructure. This includes analysis of electric vehicles, biofuels, combustion, and energy recovery potential. His laboratory has published over 120-refereed articles and Dr. Depcik received the Society of Automotive Engineers Ralph R. Teetor Award for his transportation-related research and educational activities.