2026 AGENDA
Note: Speakers and Titles will be added as we finalize the Agenda
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026
Location: Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) | 4 Research Drive, Greenville, SC 29607
1:00 - 1:30: CHECK- IN AND MEET & GREET
1:30 PM - WELCOME
SESSION I
1:35 - 2:05 pm: Deep Orange: An Experiential Hands-on Master Program / Shrey Bishnoi and Premkumar Naikar
2:10 - 2:40 pm: Autonomy from the Ground Up: When the Rubber Meets the Road / Chinmay and Tanmay Samak
2:40 - 3:40 pm: Break with Posters and Deep Orange Project Displays
3:40 - 4:10 pm: Neugen Tires: Marketing Strategy for the EV Tire Market/ Clemson MBA Marketing Students
4:15 - 4:45 pm: Common Tire Portfolios vs. Drivetrain-specific Designs: Technical Trade-offs for BEV and ICEV Applications | Matthias Wernecke, Launch Manager Driving Dynamics & Driver Assistance Systems, BMW Group
5:00 PM – NETWORKING EVENT
Aloft Hotel, 5 N Laurens St, Greenville, SC 29601.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2026
Location: Clemson @ Greenville ONE - 6th Floor | 1 North Main Street | Greenville, SC 29601
8:00 AM - 8:25 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
SESSION II
Moderated by Mik Carbajales-Dale, Associate Professor in the Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences
8:30 - 9:00am: Consideration of Wear Life Performance and Abrasion Index in Tire Design | Hope Pegues, Tire Performance Engineer, Michelin North America
9:05 - 9:35am: Performance of Different Dry Rubber Sections at the NCAT Test Track | Carolina Rodenzo, Associate Research Professor, National Center for Asphalt Technology, Auburn University
9:35-9:50 am: Refreshment Break
9:50 - 10:20 am: A New Method for Measuring Real-World Tire Abrasion and Collecting Emissions Samples/ Leo Breton, Pioneer of Real World Emissions Testing of Vehicles and the Inventor of the Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS)
10:25- 10:55 am: Tire Wear Emissions: Current Insights and Pathways Toward a Sustainable Future | Paolo Mazzatorta, Senior Manager, Research, Tire Industry Project
11:00 - 11:30 am: Panel Discussion
11:30 am - 12:00 pm: Poster Displays
Saied TaheriKEYNOTE LUNCHEON
12:00PM - 1:00PM KEYNOTE LUNCHEON
Sustainability, Autonomy and the Hidden Role of Tires in the EV Era
SPEAKER: Saied Taheri, Professor/Director, Virginia Tech/Center for Tire Research (CenTiRe)
SESSION III
Moderated by Russell Shepherd, Technical Communications Director, Michelin North America
1:20 - 1:50 pm: EV Replacement Tires: Consumer Insights and Perceptions | Jacob George, Consumer Reports Data Intelligence
1:55 - 2:25 pm : Evaluation of Vehicle and Tire Specifications across Various Energy Sources: EV, Gas, and Hybrid | Turner Bryant, Tire Performance Research Engineer, Michelin North America
2:30 - 3:00 pm: Summary of Electric Vehicles (EV) vs. Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Tires | Nicki Hershberger, Vice President, Consulting Services, Akron Rubber Development Laboratory (ARDL)
3:00- 3:30 pm: Panel Discussion
3:30- 3:45 pm: Refreshment BreakJeff Gowdy
3:45 - 4:15 pm: Sustainability in Chaotic Times-Specific EV / Jeff Gowdy, Managing Director, Cardinal Advisors
4:20 - 4:50 pm: Perspective on the Economics of EV Adoption for the American Consumer | Scott L. Baier, Professor and Associate Dean of Research
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2026
Location: Clemson @ Greenville ONE - 6th Floor | 1 North Main Street | Greenville, SC 29601
8:45 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
9:15 AM WELCOME
SESSION IV
Moderated by Peter Gregory Dunphy, Finance and Distribution Development Director - Michelin Commercial Services Network
9:20 - 9:50 am: Driving Innovation to Accelerate Energy Conservation | Ben Daughtry, Strategic Account Executive. Industry 4.0 & Digital Transformation Solutions
9:55 - 10:25 am: Optimizing Process Efficiency for Next Generation Compounds: The Role of Release Liners | Loïc Rocaboy, Global Rubber Market Manager, Otego
10:25: Refreshment Break
10:40 - 11:20 am: Kinetics and Mechanism of Ozone and Oxygen Attack on Natsyn with and Without 6PPD | Ed Terrill, Research Fellow, Akron Rubber Development Laboratory (ARDL) - Retired
11:25 - ll:55 am: Panel Discussion