Center Staff

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 jgifford@gmu.edu.

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 kbutton@gmu.edu.

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 szhu3@gmu.edu.

Carter B. Casady, Ph.D., is a Senior Fellow with the Center and 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.

Andy Blevins, J.D., is the Center’s Program Manager, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor, and a Ph.D. student at the Schar School. 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 ablevin4@gmu.edu.

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 msafi6@gmu.edu. 

Narae Lee is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Center and a Ph.D. student at the Schar School. Her research interests include development and labor policy, and firm growth. Narae previously worked at the Korea Small Business Research Institute (KOSBI) and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education & Trainings (KRIVET). She received her policy and economics (M.D.P. and two B.S.s) degrees from the Korea Development Institute and SungKyunKwan University. You can contact Narae at nlee25@gmu.edu.

Marina Manganaris is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Center and a Ph.D. student at the Schar School. 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 mmangana@gmu.edu.

Tim Hurley is a Research Assistant with the Center and is an M.P.P. student at the Schar School. His primary research interests include infrastructure generally, public-private partnerships, and transportation economics. Prior to joining the Center, Tim worked in several capacities in the statistical information and geospatial sectors. He received his history and political science (B.A.) degree at Washington College, in Maryland. You can contact Tim at thurley5@gmu.edu.

Jake Hicks is an Undergraduate Research Associate at the Center and an undergraduate student at the Schar school. You can contact Jake at jhicks24@gmu.edu.

Jake’s photograph and biography are forthcoming.

Aidan Fulham is an Undergraduate Research Assistant with the Center and a Junior at the Schar School, studying government and international politics. His primary areas of interest include public-private partnerships, international development, and government efficacy. You can contact Aidan at afulham@gmu.edu.

Lydia Sigman is an Undergraduate Research Assistant with the Center and a Sophomore at the Schar School, studying government and international politics, with an emphasis on urban and suburban areas. Her research interests include urban planning and policy. Prior to joining the Center, Lydia worked with the Democratic Municipal Offices and at the Fairfax City Economic Development Authority. You can contact Lydia at lsigman@gmu.edu.

Lizzie Weems is an Undergraduate Research Associate at the Center and an undergraduate student at the Schar school. You can contact Lizzie at eweems@gmu.edu.

Lizzie’s photograph and biography are forthcoming.

Nobuhiko Daito, Ph.D., is a Research Affiliate with the Center and a transport specialist with The World Bank. He recently graduated from the Schar School where he studied under Dr. Jonathan Gifford, the Center’s Director. His research interests include infrastructure financing, transportation policy, public finance, public-private partnerships, spatial analysis, and non-motorized transportation modes.  He received his graduate degree in urban and regional planning (M.U.R.P.)  from the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Daito’s most recent publications can be found here. You can contact him at ndaito@gmu.edu. 

Zhenhua Chen, Ph.D., is a Research Affiliate with the Center and an Assistant Professor of regional and city planning at the Knowlton School of Architecture at Ohio State University. He received his Ph.D. from the Schar School where he studied under Dr. Jonathan Gifford, the Center’s Director. Dr. Chen’s research interests include infrastructure planning and policy, regional science, risk and resilience, and big data analytics. Prior to joining the Ohio State University, he was selected as a Fellow with the International Road Federation (IRF) and with the Eno Center for Transportation. He also completed postdoctoral research with the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events at the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy. His most recent publications can be found here.