2025 AGENDA
Note: Speakers and Titles will be added as we finalize the Agenda
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2025
Location: Clemson @ Greenville ONE - 6th Floor
1 North Main Street | Greenville, SC 29601
1:00 - 1:30: CHECK- IN AND MEET & GREET
1:30 PM - WELCOME
1:40 PM - SESSION 1: ROAD PAVEMENT & TIRES: INNOVATIONS AT THE INTERSECTION OF PERFORMANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
Moderated by Russell Shepherd, Michelin
1:40 - 2:10 pm: Sorting for Better Recycling: How can we revolutionize the sorting and identification process for a better recycling? | Arthur Wagner, CEO, REGOM
2:15 - 2:45 pm: Wet vs. Dry Technologies (Topic) | Carolina Rodezno Ph.D, Associate Research Professor, National Center for Asphalt Technology, Auburn University
2:45 - 3:00 pm: Break
3:00 - 3:30 pm: 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
3:35 - 4:05 pm: TBD | Serji Amirkhanian, President & CEO of Asphalt Technologies LLC; Gulfstream Chemicals LLC, Global Trade Group LLC, and Green Technology Global Manufacturing Inc.
4:10 - 4:45 pm: 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
Greenville Bike Taxis will operate on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning at 5:30 PM at the corner of North Laurens Street and West Washington Street (in front of the Orvis store). Return rides will be available starting at 7:30 PM from Pangaea Brewing.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2025
8:00 AM - 8:45 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST (SPONSORED BY BKT TIRES, USA)
8:45 AM - 11:45 AM SESSION II
Location: Clemson @ Greenville ONE - 6th Floor
1 North Main Street | Greenville, SC 29601
SESSION II: Driving Towards Sustainability
Moderated by Fabricio Leiva Ph.D., P.E., Assistant Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University
8:45 - 9:15 am: Science-based Targets for Nature - The Next Big Thing in Goal Setting | Jeff Gowdy, Senior Director, Sustainserv
9:20 - 9:50 am: 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
9:50 - 10:05 am: Break
10:05-10:35: What Happens When the Rubber Meets the Road? | Kimberly Lyons, Ph.D., P.E., Asphalt Materials Engineer, SCDOT
10:40 - 11:10 am: 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.
11:15 - 11:45 am Panel Discussion
KEYNOTE LUNCHEON
12:00PM - 1:00PM KEYNOTE LUNCHEON (SPONSORED BY LIBERTY TIRE RECYCLING)
Achieving Renewal Together
SPEAKER: Andrew Meurer, President & CCO, Liberty Tire Recycling
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM SESSION III
SESSION III: Improvements In Tire Technology
Moderated by David Shelton, Director – Industry Relations, Giti Tire (USA), Ltd.
1:00 - 1:30 pm : Tire Pavement Interaction Noise and Mitigation Solutions | Hyeonu Heo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Akron
1:35 - 2:05 pm: Michelin’s Culture of Innovation: Advancing Airless Mobility for Off-Road and Autonomous Applications (Topic) | Jim Ford, Michelin North America
2:05 - 2:20 pm: Break
2:20 - 2:50 pm: Rolling Into the Future: Latest Advancements in Tire Labeling & RFID Technology | Carolyn Burns, Business Development Manager - Durables, Avery Dennison
2:55 - 3:25 pm: Tire Wear Influential Factors and Their Reflection In US Regional Wear Rates | Hope Pegues, Tire Performance Engineer, Michelin North America
3:30 - 4:00 pm: 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 Wilbur 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
———————————————
8:00AM 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
10:15 AM SESSION IV
SESSION IV: Smart Tires And Autonomous Mobility
Moderated by Ramy Harik, Clemson University
10:15 - 10:45 am: Tire Designs for an Autonomous Future: How AVs are Operated will Change Design Decisions | Wayne Yount, Product Marketing Manager, Michelin North America
10:50 - 11:20 am: 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)
11:25 - ll:55 am: Panel Discussion
12:00 pM RAFFLE DRAWING FOR BMW DRIVING EXPERIENCE
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.