Center Director: In compliance with the USDOT requirements, the CAIT Director, Dr. Ali Maher, manages the daily operations of CAIT, supervises the personnel, complies with the funding requirements, and oversees the progress of research activities. Dr. Maher is an experienced transportation professional and currently a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rutgers University. Additionally, he is responsible for conducting the programs, developing new research initiatives, and presenting seminars on CAIT’s research accomplishments.
Associate Director (Business Manager): The Associate Director/Business Manager, Patrick Szary, coordinates the financial activities of CAIT, including handling the procedures for establishing grant projects, and contract management. Mr. Szary also serves as the liaison between CAIT and the Rutgers Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. Additionally, he is responsible for maintaining the CAIT Baseline Measure database and meeting the UTC report requirements. Mr. Szary is a transportation/geotechnical engineer with a research specialty in highway sensors and sensing.
Education Advisory Committee (EAC) Chairperson: The chair of the Education Advisory Committee (EAC), Dr. Nenad Gucunski, oversees the undergraduate, graduate, and internship activities of CAIT and coordinates all student research and educational activities within CAIT. Additionally, Dr. Gucunski is an Associate Professor of Transportation Engineering at Rutgers University with a research specialty in nondestructive evaluation of transportation infrastructure systems.
Program Development Administrator: As Program Development Administrator, Dr. Claudia Knezek works with Joseph Orth to coordinate the technology transfer activities of CAIT. Dr. Claudia Knezek's major responsibility is to develop and organize the Roadway Safety Task Review Group. She also distributes work zone safety training kits to municipal public works, engineers, and police officers throughout New Jersey . Lastly, Dr. Knezek is assigned the task of overseeing the development of a traffic safety web page for the public sector in New Jersey . Dr. Knezek received a Doctor of Education Degree (1995) from Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education. She has over twenty years professional experience in the field of Continuing and Community Education. Currently, Dr. Knezek is employed as an Program Development Administrator at CAIT and also serves as a co-adjunct professor at Kean University.
Program Coordinator: As Program Coordinator, Janet Leli works with Joseph Orth to coordinate the technology transfer activities of CAIT. Ms. Leli’s major responsibilities include the preparation and distribution of a quarterly newsletter, publications, and reports on the technology transfer activities of CAIT. Ms. Leli is a graduate of Rutgers University (BA, 1997) and Rider University (MA, 2000). Ms. Leli joined the Local Technical Assistance Program in 1997 and, as the Program Coordinator, is responsible for the administration of continuing education courses and the publication of the Center newsletter. Ms. Leli assists in the general technology transfer activities of CAIT and serves on the committees of various professional organizations.
Administrative Assistant: The Administrative Assistant, Azam Kalantari, assists the Business Manager in the financial operation and reporting responsibilities of CAIT. This includes all daily activities including requisitions, payroll, invoices, and other administrative tasks. Ms. Kalantari has filled a critical role since the inception of CAIT.
Program Assistant: The Program Assistant, Ruth Gacser, assists the Program Development Administrator and the Program Coordinators. This includes updating mailing lists, course registrations, training activities, and other technology transfer related tasks. A graduate of Kean College, Ms. Gacser has been a registrar for Rutgers University since 1986. Her tenure with the Local Technical Assistance Program began in 1997. Ms. Gacser oversees the entire registration process for the continuing education programs sponsored by the Center.
Laboratory Scientist/Engineer: The Laboratory Scientists/Engineers, Thomas Bennert and Joseph Smith are responsible for the daily operations of the Asphalt Laboratory. Their work also includes conducting asphalt research studies. Mr. Bennert is a graduate of Rutgers University with a B.S. 1996 and an M.S. 1998 in geotechnical and transportation engineering. Currently, Mr. Bennert is the laboratory engineer in the Rutgers Asphalt/Pavement Laboratory (RAPL), as well as the Geotechnical Laboratory. He performs research in the labs, as well as a contributing researcher on projects related to asphalt such as the Investigation into Modified Asphalt Binders for Improved Pavement Performance and the Development of a Performance Specification for Granular Base and Subbase Material. Mr. Smith is a graduate of M.C.C.C. and has spent his professional career working in the construction engineering field for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, in the Materials and Construction Bureaus. In 1991, Mr. Smith began working as a consultant for various construction projects and training programs throughout the United States. Currently, Mr. Smith is the Supervisor of Rutgers University's Asphalt Pavement Laboratory at CAIT, and an instructor for the Local Technical Assistance Program. He also serves as the Training Chairman for the New Jersey Society of Asphalt Technology.
Project Coordinator: As Project Coordinator, Janet Hansen is a 1990 graduate of Rutgers University (BA, Psychology). Ms. Hansen joined the Center staff as a part time employee in June of 2003, after several years as a project leader and business systems analyst with AT&T and IBM. As a full time member of the staff in December 2003, Ms. Hansen works on the Congestion, Safety and Security Initiative promoting best safety practices at the Local level. In addition, Ms. Hansen conducts literature searches on professional development and transportation safety issues and currently serves as project manager for the following projects: New Jersey Interagency Emergency Management Plan; Engineering Management Consulting Services; Use of Windows-based PDA’s for Paperless Operation of Emergency Management Team; and Transportation Safety Professional Development Clearinghouse.
Research Associate: Dr. Izzat Bakhadyrov received his Ph.D. degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Rutgers , The State University of New Jersey. In June of 2003 he joined the Center team as a Research Associate. Since then, Dr. Bakhadyrov has been leading various projects on design, development and implementation advance information technology solutions in transportation, such as using PDAs for mobile data collection.
