2025 Agenda

View the Interactive Agenda and Conference Speakers

DAY 1 – Tuesday, November 18, 2025

8:00-9:00amRegistration
Memorial Union, Outside Turquoise Room 
9:00am-12:00pmWorkshop 1 Session: Balanced Mix Design (BMD): Advancements, Challenges, and Insights from Diverse Perspectives
Turquoise Room 

Moderator: Jhony Habbouche, Asphalt Institute
 
Opening Remarks by workshop moderator Jhony Habbouche, Asphalt Institute
Technical and Practical Aspects of Balanced Mix Design, Peter Sebaaly, University of Nevada Reno and Western Regional Superpave Center
BMD Implementation Status, Mixture Performance in the Field, and Managing Out-of-Spec Production, Matt Manthey, City of Mesa – Transportation                 
BMD Version 0.9, Parnian Ghasemi, City of Phoenix

Break – Refreshments (15 min)

ADOT’s Experience with BMD, Jesus Sandoval, Arizona Department of Transportation
Perspective from an Asphalt Supplier, Greg Groneberg, Southwest Asphalt
Panel Discussion: Peter Sebaaly, Matt Manthey, Parnian Ghasemi, Jesus Sandoval, and Greg Groneberg
 
Closing Remarks by workshop moderator Jhony Habbouche, Asphalt Institute
12:00-2:00pmLunch at Engrained
2:00-5:00pmWorkshop 2 : Innovations in Asphalt Materials and Pavement Preservation – Associated General Contractors
Turquoise Room 
2:00-2:05    Moderator: Rick Risner
2:05-2:30    Daniel Darling – New & innovative crack sealing, mastic, patching
2:30-2:55    Mo Rahman – Modified (Hi Mod) liquid asphalt and emulsions
2:55-3:20    Ryan Olson – Slurry & micro seal construction best practices
3:20-3:45    Brad Parker – How do we handle RAP in slurry & micro?
3:45-4:10    Jeff Smith – What’s new in chip seal?
4:10-5:00    Panel discussion: Daniel Darling, Mo Rahman, Ryan Olson, Brad Parker, Jeff Smith
5:00-5:15pmWalk to the Pavement Lab at ISTB2 Room 185
5:30-7:30pmConsortium Open House with Students’ Posters, Research Updates, and Field Equipment Demos
Refreshments available
850 S. McAllister Ave.
ISTB2 Room 185 Pavement Laboratory

DAY 2 – Wednesday, November 19, 2025

8:00-9:00amRegistration | Exhibits Open – Continental Breakfast
Arizona Ballroom 221
OPENING SESSION: Ventana Ballroom 241
9:00-9:20amASU Welcome Address
Ram Pendyala, Director and Professor,
School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, ASU
9:30-10:00amADOT Overview
Michael DenBleyker, Design Deputy State Engineer, ADOT
10:00-10:30amMcDOT Overview
Steve Wilcox, Deputy Director, MCDOT
10:30-11:00am City of Phoenix Street Transportation Overview
Andrew Granger, Assistant Director, City of Phoenix
Ryan Stevens, Engineering Manager, City of Phoenix
11:00-11:30amArizona Transportation Institute & Southwest Pavement Technology Consortium Update
Hasan Ozer, ASU
11:30-12:00pmLunch Preparation
Arizona Ballroom 221
◆ STUDENT POSTER SESSION ASSEMBLY – Group 1
Turquoise Ballroom
12:00-1:30pmLUNCHEON: Arizona Ballroom  221
Moderator & Lunch Speaker:
Jhony Habbouche, Asphalt Institute
◆ Recognition of Sponsors and Exhibitors
◆ Witczak Endowment Students Awards
◆ FORTA Endowment Students Awards
◆ Terracon Endowment Establishment
TRACK 1TRACK 2
SESSION 1: Asphalt Pavements in Action
Ventana Ballroom 241                                                     
Moderator: Mo Rahman, Ergon
SESSION 2: Environmental Exposures and Public Health | Turquoise 220 | Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion Moderator:
Ellie Fini, Arizona State University
1:30-1:55pmWhat’s in RAP and it’s evolution & usage in City of Phoenix
Ryan Stevens, Engineering Manager, City of Phoenix
Panelists:
2:00-2:25pmMulti-Layer Surface Treatments
Jeff Smith, Cactus Asphalt
Ali Shamshiripour, University of Arizona 
Shiva Pooladvand, Arizona State University 
2:30-2:55pmLongitudinal Grooving of Asphalt Pavements
Larry Scofield, IGGA/ACPA
Bruce Johnson, Mayo Clinic 
3:00-3:30pmNetworking Break
Arizona Ballroom 221
◆ STUDENT POSTER SESSION ASSEMBLY – Group 2
Turquoise Ballroom
GENERAL SESSION
Ventana Ballroom 241 
Moderator: Jesús Sandoval-Gil, ADOT 
3:30-4:30pmThe Case for Including Mental Health in a Safety Plan and How to Do It
Max Margolis, Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership | Lines for Life
4:30-6:30pm◆ RECEPTION
◆ BEST IN ARIZONA PAVEMENT AWARDS
Arizona Ballroom
Presenter and Moderator: Tim Murphy, Murphy Pavement Technology, Inc.
Please join us in celebrating Best in Arizona pavement project winners.
Student Posters, Door Prizes, Refreshments Open Bar,
All conference attendees are invited to attend.

DAY 3 – Thursday, November 20, 2025

7:00-8:00amRegistration – Exhibits Open – Continental Breakfast
Arizona Ballroom 221
GENERAL SESSION:  Concrete Solutions: Strength, Stability, and Smart Repairs
Ventana Ballroom  241
Moderators:
Farhad Rahimi, Quality Testing
Hossein Noorvand, ViaSun Corporation / ASU
8:00-8:25amUltra High-Performance Concrete Spotlight on Arizona DOT
Barzin Mobasher, Professor, ASU
8:30-8:55amConcrete Utility Adjustments and Repairs
Eric Ferrebee, ACPA
9:00-9:25amRoad Intersection Solutions – Concrete Overlays
Dan King, Iowa State University
9:30-9:55amRecent Advances and Uses of Roller Compacted Concrete for Pavement Construction in the United States & Arizona
Corey J. Zollinger, CEMEX USA 
10:00-10:30amNetworking Break
Arizona Ballroom 221
TRACK 1TRACK 2
SESSION 3: Evolving Asphalt Materials Specifications in Arizona
Ventana Ballroom  241  
Moderator: Bob McGennis
SESSION 4:  Geotech Progress: Stabilize, Reinforce, Automate
Turquoise 220
Moderator: Claudia Zapata
10:30-12:00pmLocal Mixture and Binder Needs for
Pavement Design
Joe Phillips, Terracon

Specifications to Unify the Valley
Alex Carter,Vulcan Materials

City of Phoenix Specification
Development
Rob Duvall, City of Phoenix
The Use of Alkali-Activated Materials for Soil Stabilization
Nima Farzadnia, University of Alaska Fairbanks

The Impact of Expansive Soils and
Geohazards on the Performance of the ADOT Highway System
, Patrice Brun, ADOT

An AI-Based Model for Predicting Vehicle Tire
Sinkage into Roadside Soils

Hamed Khodadadi Tirkolaei, ASU
12:00-1:30pmLUNCHEON:  Arizona Ballroom  221
Moderator & Lunch Speaker: Steve Trussell, Executive Director, Arizona Rock Products Association & Arizona Mining Association
◆ Community Service Awards
◆ Student Poster Awards
SESSION 5: Pavement Resilience
Ventana Ballroom 241
Moderator: Angeli Jayme, ASU
SESSION 6: Advancing Sustainability
Turquoise 220
Moderators: Todd Gonser, Cutler Repaving, Inc.
1:30-2:00pmUltra-Low Carbon Asphalt Dry Process Modifier
Doug Carlson, Liberty Tire
Ellie Fini, ASU
Low Carbon Transportation Materials – seeing the strategy in LCAs and EPDs.
William Paddock, WAP Sustainability
2:00-2:30pmFire-Resistant / Thermal Protective Pavements
Carlos Obando, ASU / aCT, Inc.
Nanotechnology Pristine Graphene for Sustainable Performance Concrete Designs
David Morgan, Carbon Rivers
GENERAL SESSION: Case Studies: Challenges in Construction on a Grand Scale
Ventana Ballroom 241 
Moderator:
Parnian Ghasemi, City of Phoenix
Bob McGennis, HF Sinclaire
2:35-3:35pmCaltrans Long-Life Project, I-5 Sacramento
Speaker: Marty McNamara, Granite Construction
 
Taxiway U: From Travel Lanes to Taxiways
Speaker: John Kliethermes, GFT
Jeremiah Hoeflich, Kiewit
3:40pm END OF CONFERENCE – Grand Prize Drawing

Questions about the event?
Contact Dr. Ramadan Salim at [email protected]
Contact Zeynep Elabiad at [email protected]