2026 Safety21 Deployment Partner Consortium Symposium

Scaling Safe Transportation – Advancing Safety, Digital Infrastructure, and Innovation for Real-World Impact

Our Safety21 Deployment Partner Consortium is utilized for identifying real-world transportation needs, research project development and deployment, technology licensing and commercialization, student recruitment for jobs and internships, as well as class and capstone projects.

Putting our research, development and deployment approach into action, the annual Deployment Partner Consortium Symposium provides an opportunity for interaction and discussion among researchers, students and deployment partners. Conversations are held not only during the formal program, panels and poster sessions, but also during breaks and over lunch.

November 12, 2026

This year’s event will take place on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus in Pittsburgh, PA.

Agenda

as of 10/5/26

8:30 AM Doors Open, Check-In and Breakfast

9:00 AM Welcome Remarks

Burcu Akinci—Dean, College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Corey O’Connor—Mayor, City of Pittsburgh
Raj Rajkumar—Director, Safety21 U.S. DOT National University Transportation Center

9:15 AM Remarks from US DOT University Transportation Center Program

9:30 AM Keynote – Scaling Safe Transportation: America’s Next Transportation Transformation

Michael Halem—Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation

10:00 AM Program Updates

Raj Rajkumar—Director, Safety21 U.S. DOT National University Transportation Center

10:20 AM Panel 1 – Building America’s Digital Infrastructure for Safer and More Innovative Transportation

This panel will explore how digital infrastructure, advanced vehicle technologies, and independent testing may improve the safety and efficiency of passenger and commercial transportation. Using the Smart Belt Coalition as an example, panelists will discuss collaboration among trucking companies, automated vehicle developers, testing organizations, and public agencies to improve freight movement and roadway safety. The discussion will also examine how rigorous testing, validation, and certification should be managed, as well as the roles of first responders and transparency in building public trust.

Moderator: Melody Drummond Hansen—Chief Strategist, Acute Strategy
Andrew Bremer—Managing Director, Local Affairs, DriveOHIO
Jeff Mercadante—Chief Safety and Risk Officer, PITT OHIO
Timothy Seitz—Research and Development Engineer, Transportation Research Center Inc.
Elisebeth Sullivan—Director of Program Management, TomTom
Vijay Varadarajan—Associate Vice President, HNTB
Andrew Woelfling—Vice President of Government Affairs, Stack AV

11:15 AM Break

11:45 AM Fireside Chat – Connected Corridor Applications for Safe Transportation

This fireside chat will discuss how connected-corridor information improves safety and reduces congestion for both autonomous vehicles and non-automous vehicles. It will discuss applications including: truck parking, work zone alerts, lane closures, emergency response, and weather data.

Moderator: Stan Caldwell—Director, SMART Grants Program, U.S. Department of Transportation
Michael Carroll—Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Tracy Larkin Thomason—Director, Nevada Department of Transportation

12:15 PM Lunch and Networking

1:15 PM Panel 2 – Deploying Automated Transportation Safely at Scale

As automated vehicles move from pilots to real-world deployment, scaling safely will require not only advances in vehicle technology, but also deliberate preparation of the physical and digital infrastructure needed to support autonomy. This panel will explore the roadway systems, data, connectivity, policy, and operational strategies needed for safe deployment, as well as the partnerships among industry, government, labor, insurers, and DOTs required to improve safety for road users.

Moderator: Lorraine Martin—CEO, National Safety Council
Nat Beuse—Chief Safety Officer, Aurora
Greg Regan—President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
Rylan Seifert—Curbside & Mobility Services Program Manager, Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, City of Pittsburgh
Ron Thaniel—Senior Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Zoox
Stefania Yanachkov—Senior Manager, Federal Policy & Government Affairs, Waymo

2:00 PM Panel 3 – Scaling Digital Infrastructure for Safety Through Partnership

This panel will explore how public- and private-sector partners can bring together and scale the digital infrastructure needed to improve transportation safety and support economic development. The discussion will examine the software, hardware, telecommunications, interoperability, and workforce needed to create a federally enabled, interoperable ecosystem rather than a collection of closed systems. Panelists will also consider how this infrastructure can attract investment, create jobs, strengthen regional competitiveness, and enable new products and services.

Moderator: Emily Yates—Senior Vice President – Government Partnerships, Daro
Krish Iyer—Applied Research, Office of CTO, Dell Technologies
Christian John—President, Tier IV North America
Ken McLeod—Policy Director, League of American Bicyclists
Bob Taylor—Chief Technology and Growth Officer, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
Tim White—Senior Vice President Business Development and Strategy, RIDC

2:45 PM Symposium Closing Thoughts

Raj Rajkumar—Director, Safety21 U.S. DOT National University Transportation Center

3:15 PM Research Project Showcase, Live Demo and Networking Reception

Join speakers and attendees for networking, live research demos, and informational posters about Safety21 research. Check-out last year’s event page for pictures of what to expect.

4:30 PM Adjourn