Review of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Research and Development Program (2020)

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103 Appendix C Study Committee Biographical Information John M. Samuels, Jr. (NAE) is President of Revenue Variable Engineering, LLC, working primarily in the areas of science dealing with railroad en- gineering, and has done work both nationally and internationally dealing with railroad infrastructure maintenance, asset life extension, and the de- sign of advanced sensor systems used to track the maintenance condition of railroad rolling stock. Before retiring from Norfolk Southern Corporation in March 2006, he was Senior Vice President for Operations Planning and Support, the position he held since March 2000. He joined Norfolk South- ern in January 1998, as Vice President, Operations Planning and Budget, after spending 20 years at Conrail, the major northeastern freight railroad in the United States. During his career at Conrail, he held successive posi- tions of Assistant Vice President Industrial Engineer–Transportation, Vice President Continuous Quality Improvement, Vice President Engineering, Vice President Mechanical, and Vice President Operating Assets, in charge of the planning and maintenance of Conrail’s 1,800 locomotives, 64,000 railcars, and 18,000 miles of right-of-way. Dr. Samuels served as Past Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board, Past Chairman of the Association of American Railroads Research and Technology Working Committee, and Past Chairman of the North American Joint Positive Train Control (PTC) project. He also served on the advisory board for the Vital PTC System de- velopment at the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., in Pueblo, Colo- rado. He remains involved in engineering education through the National Academy of Engineering and in the past served on the Dean’s Advisory Committee of Old Dominion University Engineering Programs. He is a

104 REVIEW OF FRA’S R&D PROGRAM past Chairman of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Industrial Advisory Committee, which sets the standards for college level engineering programs in the United States. Dr. Samuels was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 1996, was The Pennsylvania State University’s Outstanding Engineering Alumni in 1994, and was a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers in 1999. He remains an advisor to the NAE on national transportation in- frastructure issues involving railroads. He earned an M.S. and a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University and a B.S. from the GMI Engineering and Management Institute (now Kettering University). Melvin Clark is Senior Consultant at LTK Engineering Services, which spe- cializes in passenger rail vehicle and systems engineering. Before LTK, for nearly four decades he managed rail signal design, track and infrastruc- ture enhancements, railroad operations, rail systems maintenance, and ve- hicle programs at passenger and freight rail operators such as the Norfolk Southern Railroad, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. His professional affiliations include the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association, Eastern Signal Engineers, and Signal Training Consortium. He served on several Transit Cooperative Research Program panels for the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. He earned a B.S. in electronics management from Southern Illinois University. David B. Clarke is Executive Director of the University of Tennessee, Knox- ville, Center for Transportation Research, where his responsibilities include administration, teaching, and sponsored research. His 39 years in the trans- portation field include management or participation in numerous research projects; teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in roadway design, traffic engineering, transportation planning, railway design, and engineering systems; and experience in engineering design, construction, and project management. He is well known for his work in rail transporta- tion, which includes teaching, research, and design experience. He is inter- nationally active in efforts to promote railway research and education. He is active in professional associations, including as member and past chair of the standing committee on rail freight transport at the Transportation Research Board, the American Society of Civil Engineers (past Chair, Rail Transportation Committee), the American Public Works Association, and the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association. He is a registered engineer in Tennessee and South Carolina. He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering (transportation) from the Univer- sity of Tennessee.

APPENDIX C 105 Philip J. Daum is a Principal at Engineering Systems, Inc. He specializes in mechanical engineering, research, development, and experimental testing. He conducts complex, multidisciplinary research and accident investiga- tions pertaining to freight and transit railroads, cargo and portable tanks, transportation equipment, and hazardous materials. He investigates reli- ability, durability, crashworthiness, security performance, and regulatory compliance. His industrial experience over 39 years includes design of railroad rolling stock, trucks, brakes, draft systems, valves, pressure relief devices, safety equipment, and operating systems. He is also experienced in technology evaluations, intellectual property analysis, equipment quali- fication, health monitoring, and maintenance. He served on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on the Re- view of Department of Transportation Testing of Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brakes. He received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds professional engi- neering licenses in Illinois and California. Eric Gehringer is Vice President of Engineering at Union Pacific Railroad. He is responsible for maintaining and hardening the company’s infrastruc- ture; leading the design, construction, and maintenance of track, structures, and signal systems; and ensuring safe and efficient movement of trains. He previously served as the Assistant Vice President of Track Programs respon- sible for renewal of track infrastructure. He has held various positions in the Operating Department’s Engineering Department. Before Union Pacific, he worked at Northwest Airlines and Daimler Chrysler. He holds a B.S. in aerospace engineering from Saint Louis University and an M.B.A. from the University of Nebraska. Judith Gertler was Division Manager for QinetiQ North America from 1996 to 2012. There she managed the group conducting human factors research projects related to transportation systems. Her research involved work schedule–related fatigue, training on responding to locomotive crashes, safety rule compliance, impaired drivers, and many other transportation safety issues. Since 2012, she has been self-employed as a consultant, ana- lyzing work schedules for fatigue risk, developing fatigue risk management programs, and facilitating focus groups for transportation safety products and issues. She holds an M.S. in industrial administration from Carnegie Mellon University. Sharon Harmsworth retired from TTX in 2019 as Vice President of Equipment. TTX is North America’s leading provider of railcars and re- lated freight car management services. As Vice President of Equipment, she was responsible for railcar and component engineering as well as

106 REVIEW OF FRA’S R&D PROGRAM maintaining TTX’s fleet of more than 225,000 railcars. Before joining TTX, she was Vice President of Engineering at Electro-Motive Diesel, which is a leading manufacturer of locomotives. She has worked in the rail industry for more than 30 years. She earned a B.S. in industrial and systems engi- neering from Ohio University and an M.S. in engineering management from Northwestern University. Theresa M. Impastato is Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). In her role at WMATA, she is responsible for leadership of the safety and environ- mental teams in support of Metro’s Bus, Rail, and Paratransit Operations. She previously held positions as Deputy Chief Safety Officer and Senior Di- rector, System Safety for Amtrak. In her role at Amtrak, she was responsible for the drafting and implementation of Amtrak’s System Safety Program Plan and oversaw the field safety activities in support of the plan. Before Amtrak, she was System Safety Manager for New Jersey Transit, South New Jersey Light Rail River Line. Her professional affiliations include Federal Railroad Safety Advisory Committee, American Public Transpor- tation Association, Association of American Railroads, American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association, and the Northeast Cor- ridor Safety Committee. She is an associate instructor of Transit Rail System Safety for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Safety Institute. She has also been a member on the Railroad Operational Safety Committee of the Transportation Research Board. Ian P. Savage is Professor of Instruction in the Department of Economics and the Transportation Center at Northwestern University, where he has worked since 1986. His research has centered on urban public transpor- tation and transportation safety. He has conducted research into safety performance and the effectiveness of safety regulations in most modes of transportation with an emphasis on the trucking and railroad indus- tries. He has served on the organizing committees of local, national, and international professional organizations including as President of the Transportation Research Forum (2017–2018). He was a member of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) committee for the study of the do- mestic transportation of petroleum, natural gas, and ethanol (2015–2017), and is currently a member of the TRB Standing Committee on Highway/ Rail Grade Crossings. He was also a member of the TRB Committee for Review of the Federal Railroad Administration Research, Development, and Demonstration Programs from 2007 to 2011. He has a B.A. in eco- nomics from the University of Sheffield and a Ph.D. from the University of Leeds.

APPENDIX C 107 Jo E. Strang is Senior Vice President, Safety and Regulatory Policy with the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). At ASLRRA, she advises and represents the short line industry nationally in regulatory matters. Before joining the association in 2013, she held the highest career office with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) serv- ing as the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety/Chief Safety Officer. In that position, for which she was the longest serving in FRA history, she was responsible for all aspects of railroad safety in the United States. She has testified before Congress many times on safety and security issues. She holds a Presidential rank award along with numerous other awards. She earned a B.A. from the University of Cincinnati in economics and an M.S.A.E. in public policy economics from Marquette University. French F. Thompson III is General Director of Commuter Construction for the BNSF Railway Company (BNSF). The role encompasses leading BNSF’s commuter construction franchise associated with expanded com- muter development across the west coast, inclusive of Sound Transit, Cal- train, Metrolink, and various Amtrak routes. In addition, he is part of BNSF’s team for coordination and collaboration with the development and implementation of the California High-Speed Rail system in the central val- ley and the Los Angeles Basin. He also leads BNSF capital expansion and economic development design and construction throughout the west coast. Before being appointed to his current role, he served as BNSF’s Director of Public Projects and System Design. His role encompassed facilitating BNSF’s coordination and collaboration with public transportation agencies primarily focused on grade-crossing safety and transportation infrastruc- ture intersecting or parallel to BNSF. The System Design team focused on long-range project management efficiencies, standardization, and talent development and training for BNSF’s Engineering Services and Structures department. His professional memberships include the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association, and National Society of Black Engineers. He is a member of the Transportation Research Board committees on Grade-Crossing Safety, Freight Rail Transportation, and Freight Transportation. He holds a B.S. in applied physics from Morehouse College and a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Michigan. David Thurston is Chief Engineer–Train Control for Canadian Pacific Railway. He has been involved in systems engineering for more than 40 years, emphasizing design, construction, and operations of railroad and transit systems. He is an Honorary Fellow and Country Vice President for the North American Section in the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers,

108 REVIEW OF FRA’S R&D PROGRAM an Elected Board Member of the Vehicular Technology Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a member of the IEEE Standards Association (SA). Within the SA, he served as Chair of Working Group 25 for Safe Braking Distance Guidelines and produced the first document for calculating the safety distance for train control systems, and he is active on the Working Group 2 for Communication Based Train Control standards. He is a member of several Association of American Railroads Advisory Groups for advanced technology including Positive Train Control [PTC] Life Cycle Management, Next Generation End of Train Devices, Energy Management, Quasi-Moving Block, and Centralized Interlocking. He is currently active on three American Railway Engineer- ing and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Committees (2–Track Measurement Systems, 38–Information, Defect Detection and Energy Sys- tems, and 39–Positive Train Control) and serves as subcommittee chair for PTC Testing and Maintenance. These committees produce and maintain the AREMA Manual of Recommended Practice for Railways, which is used extensively as heavy rail standards throughout the world. In addition, he is a registered professional engineer in eight states and one Canadian province. He earned a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering from Clemson University, an M.S. in electrical and computer engineering from George Mason University, and a Ph.D. from the School of Engineering at Temple University. Vincent G. Verna serves the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) as Director of Regulatory Affairs, a position to which he was appointed in 2011. In 2014, he was elected to the position of Alternate Vice President and National Legislative Representative of BLET. As Direc- tor of Regulatory Affairs, he represents BLET on numerous collaborative endeavors, such as the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). He represents the interests of BLET members in all regulatory matters, including those before the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Mediation Board, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Transportation Security Administra- tion, among others. He prepares the union’s responses to various agencies’ proposals for rulemakings and proposed rules, and he prepares responses to petitions for waiver from compliance with FRA regulations. He served as Chairman of the Arizona State Legislative Board from 2008 until 2011. Since 2006, he has been active on various RSAC Working Groups. He holds a B.S. in history from California State University at San Bernardino and an M.S. in legal and ethical studies from the University of Baltimore. Lisa Wilson is Senior Director of Advanced Train Control Systems and Operations for Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS), where she has

APPENDIX C 109 responsibility for the positive train control (PTC) program and is the prin- cipal liaison to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for the NS PTC program. Her rail career spans more than 30 years with NS where she has served in positions related to human resources, business process engineer- ing, information technology, and advanced train control. She is active in developing policy on behalf of NS and the industry through the Association of American Railroads, FRA’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee, and other industry forums, as well as contributing to several Interoperable Train Control committees. She is a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association and of NS Volunteers, and she is a founding member of Women’s Network at NS and the NS Diversity Coun- cil. She earned a B.S. in economics and marketing from Clemson University and an M.S. in industrial relations from Georgia State University.