People
The SPTC has brought together a skilled team of professionals with an experienced director at the lead. The SPTC also benefits immensely from knowledgeable personnel associated with a number of university-based transportation centers.
Center Leadership
The SPTC is governed by the center director and associate directors representing member consortium institutions.
Musharraf Zaman
SPTC Director
University of Oklahoma
Carson Engineering Center
202 W. Boyd St., Room 213
Norman, OK 73109
405-401-3096
Email Musharraf
Rafiqul Tarefder
Associate Director
University of New Mexico
Department of Civil Engineering, MSC01 1070
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
505-277-6083
Email Rafi
Anand J. Puppala
Associate Director
Texas A&M University
College of Engineering
3127 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3127
979-458-6346
Email Anand
Mostafa Elseifi
Associate Director
Louisiana State University
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
3240N Patrick F. Taylor Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
225-578-4821
Email Mostafa
Renee McPherson
SPTC Co-Director
University of Oklahoma
Five Partners Place
201 Stephenson Pkway, Room 2100
Norman, OK 73019
405-325-1271
Email Renee
Andrew Braham
Associate Director
University of Arkansas Fayetteville
Department of Civil Engineering
4190 Bell Engineering Center
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479-575-4954
Email Andrew
Joshua Li
Associate Director
Oklahoma State University
Transportation Engineering
224 Engineering North
Stillwater, OK 74078
405-744-6697
Email Joshua
Rebecca Escamilla
Associate Director
El Paso Community College
Valle Verde Campus
919 Hunter
El Paso, Texas 79915
915-831-2164
Email Rebecca
Royce Floyd
Associate Director
University of Oklahoma
Fears Structural Engineering Lab
303 E. Chesapeake St.
Norman, OK 73019
405-325-1417
Email Royce
Melissa Tooley
Associate Director
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
1111 Rellis Pkway
Bryan, TX 77807-3135
Email Melissa
Anusuya Vellingiri
Associate Director
Navajo Technical University
School of Engineering, Math, and Technology
Lowerpoint Road, State Highway 371
Crownpoint, NM 87313
505-979-0150
Email Anusuya
Soheil Nazarian
Associate Director
University of Texas El Paso
Engineering Building, Room A-207
500 West University Avenue
El Paso, TX 79968
915-747-6911
Email Soheil
Gwendolyn Goodwin
Associate Director
Texas Southern University
TECH 401A
713-313-7283
Email Gwen
Jay X. Wang
Associate Director
Louisiana Tech University
Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology
660 Dan Reneau Dr.
Ruston, LA 71272
318-257-2934
Email Jay
Advisory Board
Members of respective state departments of transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and members in both academia and industry that hold advisory roles with SPTC.
Tara Cullum (Chair)
Deputy Chief Innovation Officer
Oklahoma Department of Transportation
200 N.E. 21st Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-522-8000
Email Tara
Vijaya (VJ) Gopu, Ph.D., P.E.
Associate Director, External Programs
Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC)
Stuller Settings -Matthew Stuller/LEQSF Regents Professor, UL-Lafayette
Formosa Plastics Distinguished Professor Emeritus, LSU
Member, Louisiana Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board
4101 Gourrier Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
225-767-9102
Email Vijaya
Michael Vahabzadegan
Executive Vice President, WSB
615 N Hudson Ave., Suite 300
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405.815.3677
Email Michael
Jim Collard
Director of Planning & Economic Development
Director of Iron Horse Industrial Park
Citizen-Potawatomi Nation
1601 S. Gordon Cooper Dr.
Shawnee, OK 74801
405-275-3121
Email Jim
Nancy Beltran
Director, Concrete Pavement Cement Council of Texas
1820 Harwood Ct
Hurst, Tx 76054
915-203-0387
Email Nancy
Mark Headley, P.E.
Special Projects Coordinator
Arkansas Department of Transportation
10324 Interstate 30
Little Rock, AR 72209
501-569-2946
Email Mark
Curtis Walker
Project Scientist I
Weather Systems and Assessment Program
Research Applications Laboratory
National Center for Atmospheric Research
1850 Table Mesa Dr.
Boulder, CO 80305
307-497-1448
Email Curtis
Michael Brown
Executive Vice President, Texas Materials, Inc., a CRH Co.
1320 Arrow Pointe Drive, Suite 600
Cedar Park, Texas 78613
512-861-7120 (office)
512-415-9601 (cell)
Email Mike
Randy Trujillo
Chief, Research Bureau
NMDOT
7500B Pan American Freeway NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
505-469-4235
Email Randy
Rhonda Fair
Director – Tribal Coordination
Government Affairs Division
Oklahoma Department of Transportation
200 NE 21st Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-517-5670
Email Rhonda
James Stevenson, P.E.
Maintenance Division Director
Texas Department of Transportation
6230 Stassney Ln
Austin, TX 78744
512-416-3056
Email James
Souzan Bahavar, P.E. (non-voting)
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Oklahoma Division
5801 N. Broadway Ext., Ste. 300
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
405-254-3333
Email Souzan
Jianming Ma, Ph.D., P.E., PMP
Director, Traffic Management Section, Traffic Safety Division
Texas Department of Transportation
125 E 11th St.
Austin, TX 78701
Email Jianming
Research Advisory Committee
Responsible for providing feedback to our researchers and assisting with selecting projects for each cycle.
Dominique Pittenger (Chair)
Assistant Professor – Engineering Pathways, Adjunct Assistant Professor – Civil Engineering and Environmental Science
University of Oklahoma
865 Asp Ave.
Norman, OK 73069
Email Dominique
Randy Bowers
Cement Council of Texas
777 Cannon Dr
Box 55188
Hurst TX 76054
817-919-5858
Email Randy
Walt Peters
Assistant Bridge Engineer - Maintenance
Oklahoma Department of Transportation
200 N.E. 21st Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3204
405-834-3769
Email Walt
Delmar Saloman
President
Pavement Preservation Systems LLC
8100 W. Marigold St., #140614
Garden City, Idaho 83714
208-863-4896
Email Delmar
Benjamin Arras
Engineering Assistant
Flexible Pavements Section. Materials and Tests Division
Texas Department of Transportation
6230 E. Stassney Lane. Bldg L
Austin, Texas 87844
512-884-7256
Email Benjamin
Md. Fazle Rabbi
Railway Research Engineer
Surface Transportation Group
ENSCO Inc. – Transportation Technology Center
55500 DOT Road Pueblo, CO 81001
208-789-5499
Email Rabbi
Center Personnel
SPTC personnel responsible for driving Center operations from our office in Norman, Oklahoma.
Masiko Mamba
Southern Plains Transportation Center
Student Assistant
The University of Oklahoma
Carson Engineering Center
202 W. Boyd St. Rm. 213A
Norman, OK 73019
Email Masiko
Dr. Arif Sadri
The University of Oklahoma
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Carson Engineering Center
202 W. Boyd St. Rm. 450A
Norman, OK 73019
(405) 325-5911
Email Arif
Lebo Nteso
Southern Plains Transportation Center
Student Assistant
The University of Oklahoma
Carson Engineering Center
202 W. Boyd St. Rm. 213A
Norman, OK 73019
Email Lebo
Olivia Dailey
Southern Plains Transportation Center
Program Manager
The University of Oklahoma
Carson Engineering Center
202 W. Boyd St. Rm. 213A
Norman, OK 73019
Email Olivia
Kevin Suitor
Southern Plains Transportation Center
Industry Outreach Coordinator
The University of Oklahoma
Carson Engineering Center
202 W. Boyd St. Rm. 213A
Norman, OK 73019