The pre-conference workshop features key faculty from the University of Delaware’s Railway Engineering and Safety Program, dedicated to providing education and advanced research on railway engineering, safety, operations, and economics for the North American and international railway and transit industry.
Nii O. Attoh-Okine
Nii O. Attoh-Okine, Ph.D., is a professor of civil engineering at the University of Delaware and an expert in the application of statistical analysis to infrastructure application; probability graphical models; computational and large scale infrastructure data analysis. He has extensive experience in the application of statistical analysis and probability theory in the areas of Application of Mathematical Statistics to Large Scale Infrastructure Data, with application to highways, and railways. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and a Diplom Ingineur from the Rostov Institute of Civil Engineering in Russia. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Kansas and editor of numerous textbooks and journals, such as ASCE and IEEE journals, as well as author of numerous technical papers in his areas of expertise. Dr. Attoh-Okine’s recently published book is Big Data and Differential Privacy: Analysis Strategies for Railway Track Engineering, John Wiley Publishers [May 2016].
Joseph W. Palese
Joseph W. Palese, MCE, PE, is a senior scientist and program manager for the Railroad Engineering and Safety Program at the University of Delaware. He has over 28 years of experience in track component design and analysis, failure analysis and component life forecasting algorithm specifications, and development of inspection systems. Throughout his career, Mr. Palese has focused on acquiring and utilizing large amounts of track component condition data for planning railway maintenance activities.
Mr. Palese has a bachelor’s degree of civil engineering, and a master’s degree of civil engineering, both from the University of Delaware, along with an MBA from Rowan University. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in civil engineering at the University of Delaware. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of New Jersey.
Allan M. Zarembski
Allan M. Zarembski, PhD, P.E., FASME, Hon. Mbr. of AREMA joined the University of Delaware faculty as research professor and founding director of UD’s Railroad Engineering and Safety Program in 2012. An internationally recognized authority in the fields of track and vehicle/track system analysis, railway component failure analysis, track strength, and maintenance planning, Dr. Zarembski founded and served as president of ZETA-TECH Associates, Inc., a technical consulting and applied technology company in 1984, now an independent business unit of Harsco Rail. Prior to that, he had served in research and development positions with Pandrol, Inc. and Speno Rail Services Co., and was manager of track research for the Association of American Railroads. He has also served as deputy director of the ASME’s Track Train Dynamics Program, and has presented numerous railroad engineering short courses throughout the U.S.
Author or co-author of more than 170 technical papers, 120 technical articles, and two books published by Simmons Boardman Books, Dr. Zarembski’s work and expertise have been recognized with numerous honors, including being named an honorary member of AREMA, and receiving both the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Rail Transportation Award in 1992, and the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration’s Special Act Award in 2001. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and is a registered Professional Engineer in five states. Dr. Zarembski earned the MA and PhD in Civil Engineering from Princeton University, and the MS in Engineering Mechanics and BS in Aeronautics and Astronautics from New York University.
