Jonathan Gifford, Ph.D., is the Center Director and a Professor with the Schar School. Dr. Gifford’s primary area of expertise is in transportation and public policy, with a focus on transportation and infrastructure finance. His recent research investigates transportation finance and the role of public-private partnerships. You can view his recent publications here. Dr. Gifford can be reached at [email protected].
Porter K. Wheeler, Ph.D., is a Consultant to the Center and has specialized in transportation policy and infrastructure finance throughout a career of college teaching, government consulting, Budget Committee work on Capitol Hill, and over two decades of private consulting and governmental advisory work. Since 2005, he has concentrated his efforts on toll road development and public-private partnership issues for the Maryland Transportation Authority, a state-wide public toll road authority, including a solicitation of interest in the I-270 Multi-Modal Corridor and a feasibility study for Nice Bridge reconstruction using a P3 approach. His recent publications can be found here.
Kenneth Button, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Fellow with the Center and is a Professor of Public Policy at the Schar School. A world-renowned expert on transportation policy, Dr. Button has published more than 80 books and over 400 academic papers in the field of transport economics, transport planning, environmental analysis, and industrial organization. You can view his most recent publications here. Dr. Button can be contacted at [email protected].
Shanjiang Zhu, Ph.D., is a Research Fellow with the Center and an Associate Professor of Transportation Planning and Engineering at George Mason University. Dr. Zhu’s primary area of expertise is in travel demand modeling, travel behavior analysis, integrated transportation planning, and simulation models. In addition to his work with the Center, Dr. Zhu leads the research and education activities at the TransInfo University Transportation Center, focusing on big data studies within the transportation sector. His recent research interests have focused on transportation policies, incident response systems, and transportation economics. His recent publications can be found here. You can contact Dr. Zhu at [email protected].
Carter B. Casady, Ph.D., is a Senior Fellow with the Center and a Research Engineer in the Center for Sustainable Development and Global Competitiveness at Stanford University. He most recently served as a Lecturer in Economics and Finance at University College London’s Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction (equivalent to Assistant Professor). Dr. Carter’s primary research interests focus on the institutionalization and governance of infrastructure public-private partnerships (PPPs). Prior to joining the Center and London’s Bartlett School, he worked for the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, the Federal Highway Administration, and on the President’s Council of Economic Advisors. He received his civil and environmental engineering degrees (Ph.D. and M.Sc.) from Stanford University and his policy analysis and management degree (B.Sc.) from Cornell University. Dr. Casady has published extensively in the fields of public administration and public policy, including numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. His most recent publications can be found here.
Cesar Queiroz, Ph.D. is a Senior Fellow with the Center and an international consultant on roads and transport infrastructure. He held several positions with the World Bank between 1986-2006, including Highways Adviser, Lead Highway Engineer, and Principal Highway Engineer. He holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, an MS in production engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and a BS in civil engineering from the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. He has published two books and over 150 papers and articles and worked in over 60 countries. He is currently a lecturer and course advisor on PPP at the International Law Institute in Washington, D.C., and has been a consultant with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the US Millennium Challenge Corporation, and several other public and private institutions.
Andy Blevins, J.D., is an editor with the center and an attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor. His research interests include third-party governance, community engagement in civil society, and the boundaries of governmental powers. Before starting his doctoral program, Andy owned a boutique consulting firm in the National Capital Region and served as the chief executive and law and policy director for several national nonprofits, focusing efforts mainly on civil rights and veterans’ issues. He also served as a cryptologic technician in the United States Navy. He received his law (J.D.) and business (M.B.A.) degrees from Willamette University and his English (B.A.) degree from the University of Colorado. You can contact Andy at [email protected].
Mustafa Sever is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Center, a Ph.D. student at the Schar School, and a Partnerships Associate with the World Association of PPP Units & Professionals (WAPPP). Prior to joining the Center, Mustafa held various operations and project management positions with NETAS, OTRO, and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure with the Republic of Turkey. He received his construction management (M.S.) degree from the City University of London and his Civil Engineering (B.S.) degree from Isik Universitesi. You can contact Mustafa at [email protected].
Divya Rana is the Center’s Program Manager and was previously a Graduate Research Assistant with the Center and a master’s student in political science at the Schar School. Prior to joining the Center, Divya worked as a political research assistant and as a supplemental instructor at Montclair State University. Divya received her political science (B.S.) degree, with a minor in global security and diplomacy, from Montclair State University. You can contact Divya at [email protected].
Divya’s headshot is forthcoming.
Marina Manganaris is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Center, a Ph.D. student at the Schar School, and a transportation policy analyst with the U.S. Department of Transportation. Her main research interest is in transportation policy. Prior to joining the Center, Marina worked in survey research at a business travel trade association and in marketing research at a firm focused on educational research (K-12 and higher education). She received her anthropology (B.A.) and public policy (M.P.P.) degrees from SUNY Stony Brook University and American University. You can contact Marina at [email protected].
Cindy Quiroz, is a third year Ph.D. student in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering. Her research interests are in U.S. Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnerships. Ms. Quiroz has an executive M.B.A. from University of Maryland College Park and a M.S. in Construction Management and B.S. from Arizona State University. Her prior research includes historic district designation and its impact on property values. You can contact Cindy at [email protected].
Iqbal Safi is a Research Associate with the Center and a Ph.D. student at the Schar School. His primary research interest is in transportation public-private partnership policy. Iqbal is a Fulbright Scholar and spent the majority of his career planning and managing commercial and federal government construction projects in Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East. Iqbal currently works for K2 Consulting, a Maryland-based construction projects management and control consultancy. He received his engineering degrees (B.S. and M.S.) from Kabul University and the California State University, Northridge. He also holds a certification in project management. You can contact Iqbal at [email protected].
Valentina Farias is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Center and a Ph.D. student in transportation engineering at the College of Engineering and Computing. Prior to joining the Center, Valentina worked as a consultant for The World Bank and a sustainability scholar for the University of British Columbia. She received her graduate (M.C.R.P.) degree from the University of British Columbia and her undergraduate degree (B.S.) from Concordia University. You can contact Valentina at
The Center has proudly hosted a number of scholars and students.
You can learn more about our alumni here.