Keynote speaker : Dr. Ankit Gupta
Associate Professor & MoRTH Chair Professor,
Department of Civil Engineering, IIT (BHU)
Topic : Performance Specifications for Balance Mix Design: Marshall Mix Design Approach
Biography : Dr. Ankit Gupta presently serves as Associate Professor & Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Chair Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi, India. He obtained Doctoral degree in Civil Engineering (Major: Transportation Engineering) from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee and Master of Technology degree in Earthquake Engineering (Major: Structural Dynamics) from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from Government Engineering College Kota under Rajasthan University, India. His experience is in pavement maintenance and performance modeling, mechanistic analysis and design of pavements, traffic flow modeling and safety. During the last fifteen plus years, he has been involved in several academic, research and professional activities. His major research studies were focused on fundamental pavement design using mechanistic analysis, waste utilization in various pavement layers and traffic capacity and safety studies to enhance quality of ride/life initiatives. He is associated with various national and international societies such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, RILEM, APSE, International Society for Concrete Pavements, UK based World Conference on Transport Research Society, Eastern Asian Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS), Indian Roads Congress, Institute of Urban Transport, Indian Geotechnical Society, iSMARTi, etc. He serves as an Editorial Board Panel Member of the International Journal ICE - Transport, Advances in Civil Engineering (ACE) Hindawi, Innovative Infrastructure Solutions Springer, International Journal for Traffic and Transportation Engineering, Serbia and reviewer of more than 40 peer reviewed journals. He has authored/co-authored and contributed over hundred (200) papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and over twenty (20) reports, press articles, newsletters. Further, he has also given many presentations in several countries, including: India, USA, Netherlands, Indonesia, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, China, Vietnam, Qatar, Srilanka. During the last several years, he has been guiding/mentoring several undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students, researchers, engineers, and practitioners.
Areas of Interest : Pavement Material Characterization, Rigid and Flexible Pavement Design, Pavement Performance, Pavement Management Systems, Sustainable Pavements, Traffic Flow Modeling, Road Safety.
Keynote speaker : Dr. Merkebe Demissie
Assistant Professor,
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary
Topic : Modeling the Demand for Dockless Electric Scooter Sharing Services
Biography : Dr. Merkebe Demissie is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Calgary. Prior to his current role, he held positions as a Research Associate and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Calgary. He also served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Dr. Demissie earned his PhD in Transport Systems through the MIT-Portugal program, a collaborative effort between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and select Portuguese Universities. He holds an MSc in Transport Systems from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden. Dr. Demissie's research program is focused on assessing the impacts of Emerging Transportation Technologies and Mobility Services to enhance the sustainability of Transportation Systems.
Areas of Interest : Emerging Transportation Technologies, Mobility Services, Sustainability of Transportation Systems
Principal Engineer at Locata Corporation Dr. Chaminda Basnayake received his Ph.D. in geomatics engineering from the University of Calgary, Canada, and his B. Sc. (Honours) in civil engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. Dr. Basnayake is widely acknowledged for spearheading the global market development of the ground-breaking Locata technology. He has been instrumental in its implementation in a variety of domains, such as the US Army, NASA, and autonomous vehicle operations in ports and mines throughout the globe.
Dr. Basnayake is an experienced researcher who has over 20 foreign patents and 16 US patents to his name, which attests to his knowledge and inventiveness. His talents go beyond Locata; he worked for General Motors as a GPS subject matter specialist. Among his many accomplishments are six GM OnStar Advanced Engineering Technology Excellence Awards and the esteemed "Bob Kettering Award."
Acknowledged by GPSWorld magazine as one of the '50 Leaders to Watch in GNSS,' Dr. Basnayake has made substantial contributions to connected vehicles research and development. His illustrious career spans roles at Renesas Electronics America, General Motors OnStar, and the University of Calgary, reflecting a history marked by technical excellence and a commitment to innovation.