2025 AGENDA
Note: Speakers and Titles will be added as we finalize the Agenda
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2025
1:00PM - 5:00PM SESSION I
Location: Clemson @ Greenville ONE
Moderated by Russell Shepherd, Technical Communications Director, Michelin
SESSION I: Road Pavement & Tires: Innovations at the Intersection of Performance and Sustainability
What Happens When the Rubber Meets the Road? | Kimberly Lyons, Ph.D., P.E., Asphalt Materials Engineer, SCDOT
Wet vs. Dry Technologies (Topic) | Carolina Rodezno Ph.D, Associate Research Professor, National Center for Asphalt Technology, Auburn University
Performance of Recycled Tire Rubber Modified Asphalt Pavements | Fabricio Leiva Ph.D., P.E., Assistant Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University
TBD | Serji Amirkhanian, President & CEO of Asphalt Technologies LLC; Gulfstream Chemicals LLC, Global Trade Group LLC, and Green Technology Global Manufacturing Inc.
Panel Discussion
6:00PM - 8:00PM NETWORKING EVENT at pangAea brewing company
(Sponsored by pangAea and visit greenville)
Location: Pangaea Brewing Company
115 Welborn St Suite A, Greenville, SC 29601
Wednesday, APRIL 23, 2025
8:00AM - 8:45AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST (SPONSORED BY BKT TIRES, USA)
8:45AM - 11:45AM SESSION II
Location: Clemson @ Greenville ONE
Moderated by Fabricio Leiva Ph.D., P.E., Assistant Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University
SESSION II: Driving Towards Sustainability
Science-based Targets for Nature - The Next Big Thing in Goal Setting | Jeff Gowdy, Senior Director, Sustainserv
From Scrap to Resource: The Growing Market of Tire Recycling and End-of-Life Tire Solutions | Amelia Chucholowski, Manager, Sustainability and Recycling Policy, U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association
Sorting for Better Recycling: How Can We Revolutionize the Sorting and Identification Process for a Better Recycling? | Arthur Wagner, CEO, REGOM
Sustainability: What's the Hype? Practical Examples in Tire Recycling and Natural Rubber Production| Serji Amirkhanian, President & CEO of Asphalt Technologies LLC; Gulfstream Chemicals LLC, Global Trade Group LLC, and Green Technology Global Manufacturing Inc.
Panel Discussion
kEYNOTE LUNCHEON
12:00PM - 1:00PM Keynote Luncheon (Sponsored by liberty tire recycling)
Speaker: Andrew Meurer, President & CCO, Liberty Tire Recycling
1:00PM - 4:00PM SESSION III
Moderated by David Shelton, Director – Industry Relations, Giti Tire (USA), Ltd.
SESSION III: Improvements in Tire Technology
Tire Pavement Interaction Noise and Mitigation Solutions | Hyeong Heo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Akron
Michelin’s Culture of Innovation: Advancing Airless Mobility for Off-Road and Autonomous Applications (Topic) | Jim Ford, Michelin North America
Rolling Into the Future: Latest Advancements in Tire Labeling & RFID Technology | Carolyn Burns, Business Development Manager - Durables, Avery Dennison
Tire Wear Influential Factors and Their Reflection In US Regional Wear Rates | Hope Pegues, Tire Performance Engineer, Michelin North America
Panel Discussion
4:00 PM Featured Talk: The Impact of Tariffs on the Tire and Auto Industry
Scott L. Baier, Ph.D, Professor and Associate Dean of Research, The Wilbr O. and Ann Powers College of Business, Clemson University
4:30 PM raffle drawing for GITI Tires & Conference Adjourns for the Day
Thursday, april 24, 2025 (@ Cu-icar)
Location: Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR)
5 Research Drive, Greenville, SC 29607
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8:30AM Continental Breakfast (SPONSORED BY CLEMSON POWERS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS)
8:45AM Welcome
Venkat N. Krovi Fasme, Michelin Smartstate Chair Professor of Vehicle Automatio
David Shelton, Director of Industry Relations, GITI Tire USA
9:10am Tour of CU-ICAR
10:15AM SESSION IV
Moderated by Ramy Harik, Clemson University
SESSION IV: Smart Tires and Autonomous Mobility
Tire Designs for an Autonomous Future: How AVs are Operated will Change Design Decisions | Wayne Yount, Product Marketing Manager, Michelin North America
Enhancing Vehicle Safety: A Hybrid Fusion Approach for Real-Time Tire-Road Friction Estimation | Saied Taheri, Professor/Director, Virginia Tech/Center for Tire Research (CenTiRe)
Panel Discussion
12:00 PM Lunch meet & greet with clemson students
sponsored by pangaea
1:00 - 3:00 PM Clemson ConnectedAutonomy Systems Tour (optional)
Join us for an informal, drop-in style event following lunch on the final day of the conference, where attendees will get a high-level overview of Clemson’s ConnectedAutonomy initiative—a collaborative effort among 15+ CECAS faculty. This initiative focuses on modular, open-architecture research instruments used in autonomous vehicle research, made accessible through a service-center model. Attendees will also learn about cutting-edge research in safety, resilience, human factors, and machine learning. Dr. Krovi’s lab will be featured, showcasing the latest advancements in Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) technologies.