April Gray

Much of VTTI’s research centers around studies that depend upon human participants. Whenever that is the case, Christine Link-Owens is the Driving Force who makes sure that the volunteers needed are recruited, scheduled, and show up for the research study.

Christine and her team excel at recruiting people with all types of backgrounds so each study’s particular requirements can be met with the best pool of possible participants while adhering to all requirements as set by the statement of work and Virginia Tech’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), the organization that oversees procedures for ethical and safe research involving human subjects. Christine supervises 8 to 15 active projects at a time, while also assisting with proposal budgets and compiling volunteer coordination materials for IRB applications.

Christine joined VTTI in 2007 as a project assistant working for Luke Neurauter and Eddy Llaneras in the Advanced Product Test Group. The position gave her experience in many areas, such as filling in for the front desk staff; meeting, greeting, and consenting participants; and serving as an in-vehicle experimenter. This role also gave her an opportunity to learn how to recruit and schedule participants, which set the stage for the position she currently holds.

When the Volunteer Coordination Group was formed in 2014, Christine was selected as the manager of the team. She currently oversees eight employees who are tasked with recruiting and scheduling the volunteers needed for each study’s specific requirements. She estimates that she has personally screened over 10,000 individuals over the past 15 years, in addition to the many thousands more that the group has screened.

Christine credits her upbringing, in a home that also served as the home office for the family business, with giving her the tools needed for her current role. She says, “I learned from an early age how to engage on the phone and conduct myself as a ‘receptionist’ which led me to hold this position at many businesses as I put myself through college. From my parents, I learned that the key to success is to work hard, do what you say you are going to do (and with haste, time is money!), and be honest.”

While serving as manager of the Volunteer Coordination Group focuses on working with people, some of her previous positions have revolved around animals. After earning a B.S. with an emphasis on a pre-med curriculum from Virginia Tech, Christine worked as a small animal veterinary technician in private vet clinics before joining the VA-MD Veterinary Teaching Hospital in 1993. She notes that: “My final years with the VT Teaching Hospital found me caring for research animals which is how I was able to make the leap from research with animals to research with human subjects.”

Animals play an important part in Christine’s personal life as well. She has been involved with Giles Animal Rescue since 2007 and she served as president, spay/neuter coordinator, and adoption coordinator for more than 10 years. During her tenure as president, the group was able to move the Giles County shelter from a nearly 80% kill rate to a 2% kill rate. In addition, she believes that the group’s tireless work to educate citizens and fund as many neutering procedures as possible resulted in reducing the number of stray animals in the county.

Christine and her husband (Billy) have raised three children (Jamie, Samantha, and Alexis) and live on a small farm where Christine boards retired performance horses; they have also fostered many dogs over the years. Christine is enjoying being a grandmother to 6-year-old Emerson who also enjoys a pony ride when she gets the chance!

From left to right: Kaitlyn Bedwell, Barbara Fitzgerald, Christine Link-Owens, Taylor Young, Amy Maxey, Julie Hodge, Anne Hall, and Christina McCuen. Not pictured: Carolyn Blanton and Brunilda Swannell.

When asked what she likes best about her job, Christine responds: “The diversity of individuals who work at VTTI. There is always something different; no two projects are ever alike and there is always a challenge. I had never before worked where everyone enjoys their work. The people here support each other without hesitation, and there is assistance for any task at hand when needed. There seems to be a high rate of job satisfaction throughout VTTI, which is important to me.”

Luke Neurauter, the director of VTTI’s Division of Vehicle, Driver, & System Safety, has this to say: “Christine has been a tremendous asset to VTTI over the years, a true example of someone who is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that success is achieved. Her development and guidance of the Volunteer Coordination Group has transformed how VTTI identifies and engages with volunteers, a critical aspect of our daily research activities. Repeatedly, Christine is tasked with thinking outside of the box and continues to come up with creative ways to identify eligible participants as demographic requirements become more complex and challenging. Personally, I am extremely grateful for all of Christine’s assistance over the years, and that of her team, and I look forward to future shared successes.”

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Going to the gym is known to be good for the body and the mind. For Ross McCarthy, it has paid off career-wise!

In 2013, Ross had just completed his B.S. in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech and was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in structures. Though he was accepted into VT’s Structural Engineering and Materials Program, the lack of available financial assistance impeded him. Coming from a family that greatly values education, turning down this invitation into the structural engineering graduate program was a letdown for Ross. Following his rejection of the program, he reluctantly prepared to leave Blacksburg. Then he got on a cycle machine at a local gym.

When someone got on the cycle next to Ross, they started up a conversation. That was Gerardo Flintsch, then—as now—a professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as well as the director of VTTI’s Center for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure (CSRI). When the conversation got around to the postponed plans for graduate studies, Gerardo mentioned some testing that was taking place on the Virginia Smart Roads at VTTI, and he invited Ross to visit and see it firsthand.

That chance encounter led to an education and career path in transportation safety for Ross. He initially joined the CSRI team in a part-time position, and subsequently received a graduate assistantship for the master’s program in civil engineering at VT. While a graduate student, Ross spent a semester at the University of Nottingham in England, which he described as “an amazing experience.” He studied under Professor Tony Parry, where he focused on tire-pavement friction and analytical tools to improve safety.

Ross McCarthy in his VTTI office.

While riding a train during his time in Nottingham, Ross witnessed an aggression directed toward a man and his son. Afterward, Ross approached the man to offer support. The individual turned out to be Glenn McDowell, the head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Nottingham (a position he still holds in 2022). He reciprocated Ross’ kindness and concern with introductions to prominent individuals in the engineering field, which greatly added to his U.K. experience.

Ross completed his master’s program in 2014, a semester after returning from England, and was subsequently awarded a graduate fellowship along with a graduate assistantship to pursue his Ph.D. in civil engineering. After completing his doctorate in 2019, Ross was initially hired as a postdoctoral associate in CSRI. He now serves as a research associate in that Center. In this role, his responsibilities include processing and analyzing measured pavement characteristics related to tire-pavement interactions and highway safety. Using this data, he co-authors scholarly articles and assists with writing and compiling government reports. His work also involves traveling to meetings and conferences where he interacts with professionals who work in transportation, safety, materials, and other fields, exposing them to the newest tools. The goal is always to improve transportation safety.

When asked what his hobbies are, he laughs. “I’m getting married soon, so planning the wedding is my hobby right now!” Ross and fiancée Whitney Deal will tie the knot in October.

Ross is quick to express appreciation for his good fortune and he is effusive in his praise for everyone in CSRI, especially Gerardo Flintsch, Edgar de Leόn Izeppi, and Samer Katicha, noting that: “They are more than mentors. I trust these people, they’re patient and have allowed me to grow and become more confident in professional research. Every day I am learning something new!”

Whether he is establishing connections abroad or conducting research that contributes to safer roadways, Ross is truly a driving force at VTTI!

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Sondra Iverson has been a driving force at VTTI for the last 15 years. In her role as a senior software engineer in VTTI’s Division of Technology Implementation (DTI), her primary responsibility is leading the server development for the various client-server applications developed by DTI for transportation research purposes. The VCC Cloud is a collection of several of these server applications that receive and process assorted types of messages from connected vehicles and infrastructure.

One project that Sondra has been involved in is Safely Operating ADS in Challenging Dynamic Scenarios, which demonstrates how vehicles equipped with automated driving systems can safely interact with public service personnel ─ such as police, firefighters, and EMTs ─ and infrastructure providers. She was part of the team that developed the in-vehicle application that relays information to passengers, an important feature since the vehicles are driverless!

Sondra Iverson at her home in Seattle.

Sondra grew up on a farm in South Dakota, where she had the opportunity to operate a variety of vehicles, her favorite being the payloader! She said that “having the experience of driving a semi-tractor trailer gave me a better understanding of the extra challenges faced by those drivers and an appreciation for the research being done by VTTI in that area.” Prior to joining VTTI, Sondra worked on various software projects, including real-time 3D games, assemblers/compilers, and driving simulators. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Houston.

Sondra’s personal interests range from the active to the cerebral. She enjoys hiking, kayaking, reading, and puzzles ─ including the daily nerdle puzzle ─ and she has recently been learning to sail and knit.

Sondra’s husband, Dean, also works for VTTI as a senior software engineer. When their two sons were going through school, Sondra enjoyed helping to coach their various math, science, and robotics teams. It’s clear that the talent for math and software development has taken hold in the next generation: Alex has started a software consulting firm and Matt is working in the Starlink division of SpaceX.

When asked what she likes best about working at VTTI, Sondra replies: “I get to work with great people, including my husband, Dean, on interesting projects that have a positive impact on people’s lives. We are making transportation safer!”

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Erem Memisyazici brought a wealth of knowledge to his position as a senior research specialist in VTTI’s Division of Vehicle, Driver, & System Safety due to his 10 years of data reduction experience. He readily admits that when he joined VTTI in 2011 he did not anticipate that he would become committed to transportation research. However, his involvement in data reduction – reviewing in-vehicle recordings and categorizing the minute details of drivers’ attention and actions for analysis purposes – piqued his interest in transportation research and has remained in place ever since.

In his current role, Erem is involved in data collection on various studies, both on the Virginia Smart Roads and in Northern Virginia. He provides assistance in many areas, whether it relates to projects under the Safe-D University Transportation Center or graphic design renderings for developing technologies. The latter takes advantage of Erem’s degree in visual arts and graphic design from Radford University; his skills are often tapped to provide graphics for projects, reports, and other VTTI publications.

Erem Memisyazici working in his VTTI office.

When asked what he likes best about working for VTTI, Erem’s response is immediate: “The people, for sure. Everyone is hard-working, dedicated, and committed. It’s a real privilege to work alongside such distinguished and inspiring individuals. It is also absolutely true of the participants who volunteer for our studies to help us in our research efforts. After all, without them and without their input, what we do wouldn’t be possible.”

He is equally effusive about the work that VTTI does. “What we do here has a significant impact in furthering transportation safety, which leads to saving lives. It’s truly a humbling realization and one I am privileged and honored to be a part of.”

In his free time, Erem’s interests vary. He has creative passions that are addressed by sketching and painting, and he loves to wander out with his easel and canvas until inspiration strikes. He also enjoys hiking and biking with friends and getting lost in a good book when he can work that into his busy life.

While he may have once envisioned a different sort of career, Erem has successfully folded his artistic talent into an entirely different field. “Sometimes in life, the right path finds you, instead of the other way around, and that is precisely what happened with me. It has become one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life to work here with truly talented and hardworking people to make a real difference.”

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“It is surreal to be recognized for work that is so important to me and the future.”
Eric Glenn, Research Program Specialist and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subject Matter Expert at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

After completing a course on Counseling Diverse Populations, Eric Glenn knew that he could take what he learned and help to create a safe and comfortable environment for everyone, including at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). 

His dedication, past experiences, and education led Glenn to be entrusted to establish the VTTI Road to Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) Committee, and his work is being honored with the Presidential Principles of Community Award.

The Presidential Principles of Community Awards were established in 2014 and recognize members of the Virginia Tech community who exemplify the Principles of Community and have demonstrated an active commitment to inclusion and diversity at Virginia Tech.

“It is surreal to be recognized for work that is so important to me and the future,” said Glenn. “The work being completed by the RIDE Committee is crucial to creating an inclusive environment both at VTTI and in our research.”

Glenn began working at the institute in 2013 as a data reductionist and has since been elevated into multiple positions including research assistant, senior research specialist, program manager, and diversity, equity, and inclusion chair/subject matter expert.

Since starting at VTTI, he has been credited with creating the institute’s first inclusion, diversity, and equity committee that is intended to create and foster a safe, equitable, and inclusive work environment for all personnel at the institute.

The RIDE Committee’s goals are to open channels of communication with senior leadership, educate VTTI employees on the importance and means of achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion; and strategically execute realistic goals developed based on the needs of students, staff, and faculty.

Glenn serves as the committee’s inaugural Chair and oversees a collective group of students, staff, and faculty dedicated to making VTTI as inclusive as possible.

“Eric is an extremely driven individual and the perfect example of how the Virginia Tech Principles of Community are being enacted at VTTI,” said Myra Blanco, director of advancement, partnerships, and outreach at VTTI. “I am honored to work with Eric every day. I personally have seen multiple benefits of the work he is doing with the RIDE Committee, and I have heard from many others that they have felt more comfortable at VTTI knowing that there is a group of individuals making the institute more inclusive.”

In addition, Glenn is striving to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are also a key component of the research being conducted at VTTI as it enables researchers to conduct equitable transportation-related research.

Lastly, Glenn is extremely grateful for the support from his wife, Laurel Glenn, colleagues Luke Neurauter, Zac Doerzaph, and Susan Soccolich, the mentorship from Eric Cooper, educational confidence in this field from Shernita Lee and the EDCO program, and finally a huge thank you to Myra Blanco for seeing and activating the potential in himself to make a difference in so many colleagues.

Glenn studies in pursuit of a master’s degree in Counselor Education, and two inclusion and diversity certificates from Cornell University (received) and Virginia Tech.

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Stephanie Baker came to VTTI 24 years ago when it was still called the Center for Transportation Research. Having a background in transportation and community development, she was a natural fit for the Travel Shenandoah project, a pilot study for what would later become 511 Virginia. The project, which utilized focus groups and interviews to assess traveler information needs, was in keeping with Stephanie’s focus on the importance of stakeholder input and qualitative research.

A native of the New River Valley, Stephanie received a B.S. in political science at James Madison University, and a Master of Public Administration with a Certificate in Environmental Ethics from the University of Georgia. As a graduate student, Stephanie was trained in community development facilitation and put that training to use after graduate school in the U.K. and later in Romania conducting interviews and strategic planning as part of community and non-profit development work.

Stephanie’s skills have been utilized in a variety of projects during her time with VTTI. In what is now the Division of Freight, Transit, and Heavy Vehicle Safety, she worked with Andy Schaudt on a project that focused on educating teen drivers on how to safely share the road with trucks. The 2011 study developed into a program that continues today via onsite and virtual experiences for driver’s education students. A team of VTTI researchers travels to high schools around the country to provide a hands-on experience for new drivers to help them better understand how to safely share the road with trucks.

This experience led Stephanie to more teen driving work with Dr. Charlie Klauer, including conducting outreach at parent-teen nights at area high schools to promote the benefits of teen driving contracts and using interviews with teens and parents to learn more about how technologies such as driver monitoring systems can support parental involvement and improve teen driving safety.

Stephanie currently serves as a senior research associate with the Division of Data & Analytics’ Policy and Qualitative Data Analysis group. She enjoys working with Dr. Tammy Trimble to serve groups across VTTI with projects that require interviews, focus groups, or meeting facilitation.

When asked what she likes best about working at VTTI, she says: “It is hard to pick one thing – the people, the participants, and the sense of purpose. I’ve been blessed to work with amazing people at VTTI who care about their work and have given me great opportunities to learn and grow in my career.”

She elaborates further on the value of the volunteers who dedicate their time to VTTI studies. “It is such a privilege to have people spend time sharing their thoughts and opinions with me. So much of what VTTI does depends on people taking the time to tell us what they think about a new program or technology. Our participants provide invaluable input to our studies and I’m so thankful for them.”

In her free time, Stephanie said what she enjoys most is spending time with her husband, two teenagers, and their dog. She loves being outdoors – running, hiking, and traveling. Involvement in her local church community and visiting with family are also very important to her.

Reflecting on the past 24 years, Stephanie says a sense of purpose has kept her at VTTI for so many years. “VTTI aims to save lives and protect the environment. It’s been rewarding to be a part of research and outreach designed to help people stay safe on the road and I’m learning more about climate change and sustainable transportation so I can support VTTI’s efforts to help address this critical issue. So, while it’s hard to believe it’s been 24 years, I’m excited to be a part of what VTTI is doing now and in the future!”

Susan Soccolich initially thought that she would use her affinity for numbers in the insurance industry.

However, after obtaining a Master’s in statistics from Virginia Tech, she realized that the actuarial career’s focus on crash financial impacts was not really in alignment with her mindset. Fortunately for VTTI, Susan did feel that utilizing her education and skills to focus on transportation safety was in tune with her professional goals. In summer 2010, she was hired by VTTI’s Center for Truck and Bus Safety —the forerunner to the current Division of Freight, Transit, & Heavy Vehicle Safety (DHVY) — and she has been applying her background in statistics and psychology for the benefit of DHVY and other VTTI divisions ever since.

Susan’s involvement in projects begins during the study’s planning stages. In order to verify that the data obtained can be analyzed and produce statistically significant results, she provides input to the study design; for example: how many participants will be needed, how long the study needs to run, and if a naturalistic study is suitable, or is it best run on the Virginia Smart Roads. In her role of statistician, she looks for patterns in the study data to ensure that the research questions can be answered. Susan credits DHVY director Rich Hanowski for giving her the opportunity to be exposed to all aspects of projects, including meeting with participants and presenting study results to sponsors and at conferences.

A native of Northern Virginia, Susan first came to Blacksburg as an undergraduate and she obtained dual bachelor’s degrees in in psychology and statistics. After obtaining her Master’s degree, Susan and her husband, Adam – who met here as students – chose to make the New River Valley their home, noting the good quality of life it offers them.

Susan Soccolich in her VTTI office.

In their free time, Susan, Adam, and their 6-yr-old daughter enjoy spending time in Blacksburg’s parks, and attend all types of Hokie sporting events, including lacrosse, soccer, and baseball. Susan’s volunteer involvements include assisting with a local animal rescue group and plunging into frigid water on February 26^th to raise money for the Special Olympics. She expressed that she has been overwhelmed with the donations she has received from her VTTI colleagues for that event!

When asked what she likes best about working at VTTI, Susan offers: “Each season brings opportunities to work on new topics, projects, and technologies. I’m lucky to have gotten to know so many of the employees here and to be a part of so many studies.” She is proud of VTTI for always asking new questions and maintaining its focus on leading transportation safety, and she noted especially the accomplishments of the newly formed Road to Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) committee, for which she serves as the vice chair.

Every aspect of the research conducted at VTTI is crucial to making transportation safer and Susan Soccolich is a driving force behind the advancement of research data analysis.

Ihab El-Shawarby has had many roles at VTTI, reaching back almost 25 years. His first job as a data reductionist was taken while he worked on his doctorate in industrial engineering in the late 1990s. After receiving his PhD through a joint program between Virginia Tech and Ain-Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, Ihab headed back to Cairo and served as an assistant professor at Ain-Shams University, completing a requirement of the scholarship program.

Ihab returned to Blacksburg in 2002 as a research scholar when a project in VTTI’s Transportation Systems and Operations group required his skills and experience. He advanced to the role of senior research associate in 2003 and he now holds the title of research scientist.

(Prior to earning his Master’s degree in biomechanics from Ain-Shams University, Ihab worked as a Cairo branch manager for Coca Cola, and he remembers that employees were expressly forbidden from drinking competitors’ products when out in public, even if those were the only offerings available!)

Ihab’s work in the Center for Sustainable Mobility (CSM) is focused on operations research, modeling, simulation, driver behavior, and field data collection and analysis. He serves as the Virginia Tech program coordinator for the Urban Mobility & Equity Center (UMEC) University Transportation Center, a collaboration with Baltimore’s Morgan State University and the University of Maryland that strives to improve the mobility of people and goods in an environmentally sustainable manner. During his 20 years as a VTTI faculty member, Ihab has worked on more than 100 projects—acting as the co-principal investigator on many of them—and he has co-authored in excess of 50 publications. He currently serves as the project manager for all CSM projects and is involved at some level on every project in in the Center.

Ihab El-Shawarby working in his VTTI office.

Ihab and his wife, Niveen, have a daughter, Sarah, who earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting and Information Systems from Virginia Tech, and a son, Mohammad, who graduated from Radford University with a degree in graphic design. Sarah has two sons, 10-yr old Adam and 4-yr old Zain.

Ihab and Niveen love to travel, and they have visited 15+ states and more than 40 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. Their plans to visit Brazil and Uruguay have had to be put on hold until the pandemic is behind us. They also enjoy doing their own home maintenance and remodeling, tackling jobs such as painting, replacing carpets with hardwood flooring, and sealing the driveway themselves! A big soccer fan, Ihab makes a point of following the Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Zamalek teams.

Ihab didn’t hesitate when asked what he likes best about working at VTTI, noting his appreciation for “Center director, Hesham Rakha, and my colleagues in CSM, and the other groups at VTTI that I have worked with through the years.” He specifically acknowledged the support received from personnel on VTTI’s Finance, IT, HR, and Editing teams—past and present.

What is he most proud of that VTTI does?  “Our work on increasing safety on roadways and reducing pollution.” Ihab El-Shawarby has certainly been a driving force in those accomplishments!