Topic: Amtrak Airo Facilities – A New Era of Passenger Rail
Bio:
Mr. Dhruba (DJ) Biswas is a Principal Project Manager with Amtrak’s Capital Delivery Yards and Facilities Group. He currently manages the railroad yard upgrade project at Southampton Street in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Biswas has more than 30 years of project management experience in civil engineering, with a strong focus on construction management and construction quality control.
Throughout his career, he has successfully managed a wide range of infrastructure projects, including roadways, highways, bridges, buildings, water and wastewater systems, storm and sanitary sewers, railroad grade separations, and site development projects. In addition to project delivery, Mr. Biswas is highly experienced in business development and proposal writing.
Mr. Biswas holds master’s degrees in Civil Engineering and Business Administration from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP) certified by the Project Management Institute, a Certified Construction Manager (CCM) through the Construction Management Association of America, and a LEED Accredited Professional with the Green Business Certification. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania.
Currently, Mr. Biswas serves as a member of the Maryland Board of Professional Engineers. Previously, he served for several years as Vice President of Education for the Maryland Society of Professional Engineers. He has also taught engineering courses at the Community College of Baltimore County (Catonsville) and Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.
Topic: The How, What, and Why of Storm Sewer Post Installation Inspection
Bio: Daniel Cooley is the regional engineer for Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS), covering projects in Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. Daniel assists the engineering community with the design of ADS's engineered products for capture, conveyance, storage, and treatment of storwater runoff. Daniel is a 2019 graduate of Penn State University with a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering. Daniel has over 5 years of experience in the field of stormwater management.
Topic: AI & Engineering
Bio:
Jaafar El-Awady, professor of mechanical engineering, is recognized for furthering the fundamental understanding of the underlying deformation mechanism in materials. A winner of a 2018 Johns Hopkins University Catalyst Award, he creates cutting-edge, multi-scale computational methods and experimental techniques necessary to develop next-generation materials for aerospace, naval, automotive, and energy applications.
As founder and director of the Johns Hopkins Computational and Experimental Materials Engineering Laboratory (CEMEL) and fellow at the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (HEMI), El-Awady’s expertise is primarily in the field of mechanics of materials for extreme environments, with particular focus on developing advanced multi-scale simulation techniques (from atoms to continuum) and high-temperature bulk- and micro-scale experiments, to predict the mechanical properties, underlying deformation mechanisms, damage evolution, and failure in materials. In 2015, he was awarded the National Science Foundation’s prestigious Early CAREER Award to support his research in developing microstructurally based computational methods to fundamentally identify the effect of hydrogen on the deformation and fracture of metals used in energy generation, conversion, and storage systems.
Research in his group includes predicting the fundamental mechanisms controlling the properties of complex alloys with a specific focus on their thermo/chemo-mechanical properties for extreme environment applications and characterizing the deformation and failure of coatings for high-temperature applications. His group’s research also quantifies and predicts the fatigue life of materials and predicts the plasticity and failure of epoxy polymers. Additionally, El-Awady’s group develops machine learning approaches for accelerated predictions of deformation and damage in materials.
Prior to joining the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2010, El-Awady was a visiting scientist at the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory and a research consultant for Digital Material Solutions Inc. In 2019, he was appointed chair of JHU’s Engineering for Professionals’ Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program. El-Awady, who holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, is a member of the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (HEMI) and is the associate director of the Center on Artificial Intelligence for Materials in Extreme Environments (CAIMEE) and the Center for Integrated Structure-Materials Modeling and Simulations (CISMMS). For four years, he participated in the STEM Achievement in Baltimore Elementary Schools (SABES), and from 2015 to 2017, he presented a summer lecture series at Sichuan University, in Chengdu, China, on the mechanics of materials and microscale plasticity in solids.
In addition to the NSF Career Award and JHU Catalyst honor, El-Awady was named a TMS Brimacombe Medalist in 2025. He has also been recognized with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Materials Division Orr Early Career Award (2014) and the Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award (2012). He received several awards for his graduate and undergraduate research, including the 2008 Outstanding PhD Award in Aerospace Engineering from the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of California, Los Angeles. He is also the chair of the 10th International Conference on Multiscale Materials Modeling in 2020, the world’s largest conference dedicated to multiscale materials modeling.
El-Awady is a member of the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Materials Research Society (MRS), The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS), and United States Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM). He has guest-edited a focus issue on intrinsic and extrinsic size effects in materials for the Journal of Materials Research in 2018 and is a member of the editorial board of Materials Theory – Springer.
He received a BS (2001) and MS (2003) in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Cairo University, Egypt, and a PhD in aerospace engineering (2008) from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Research Areas
- Multiscale materials modeling
- damage and fracture mechanisms of materials in mechanical design
- material degradation in extreme environments
- nano-materials and structures
- impact dynamics and wave propagation.
Topic: Amtrak Airo Facilities – A New Era of Passenger Rail
Bio:
Christopher Gray, PE, PMP is a 20+ year career professional in the A/E/C industry. He has been at Amtrak for about 10 years and is currently serving as a Project Director within Amtrak’s Fleet & Facilities Department. In this role, Chris is responsible for delivery of new railyard facilities in Amtrak’s network – particularly in the New York region – including a $1B+ project at Sunnyside Yard in Queens, NY. Prior to his tenure with Amtrak, Chris worked 11 years for a consulting firm designing parking structures where he served in various roles culminating in his final role as Director of Operations, where he managed workload for approximately 30 engineers and architects in addition to managing new design and restoration projects throughout the east coast.
Chris is a licensed professional engineer and is a certified Project Management Professional. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Penn State University and a Master of Leadership Development from the same. He remains involved in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and has served as president of the Younger Member Forum in Philadelphia amongst his involvement in several other professional societies.
In 2018, Chris served as category champion for the Passenger Rail and Schools categories for ASCE’s PA Report Card. He was also recognized in 2015 as the Young Civil Engineer of the Year by the ASCE Philadelphia chapter.
When he is not at home with his wife and daughters, he is an avid Ultimate Frisbee player and coach.
Topic: Lithium Battery Storage at Sub-Station Level
Bio:
Luke Hasemeier is currently a Principal Engineer with Baltimore Gas & Electric. His current responsibilities include supporting the Electric Distribution Planning area’s strategic initiatives on energy storage. This includes participation in the Maryland Energy Storage Program workgroup, the Maryland Interconnection workgroup, key contributor to 3 different energy storage RFPs at BGE, and working with BGE’s Electric Distribution Regional Capacity Planning to integrate energy storage into forecasting and solutioning.
In addition, Luke serves as a capacity planning SME in a number of BGE strategic efforts to comply with various Maryland legislative and regulatory initiatives.
Previously, Luke was the technical lead for a study assessing the electric distribution system impacts of widescale electrification. Luke has been with BGE for 20 years in and around the Electric Distribution Planning area, rotating through various responsibilities of distribution system modeling, feeder and substation forecasting, project creation, and budget management. Luke has Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from Bucknell University and a Masters Degrees in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.
Topic: Engineering Ethics (Afternoon Panel)
Bio:
Mr. Hubner is an active member of the professional engineering community in Maryland as a Managing Principal at EBL Engineers, LLC. He serves as Vice Chair of the State Board for Engineer Licensing where he also chairs the Ethics Committee and holds the rank of Colonel in the 121st Engineer Regiment of the Maryland Defense Force (State Guard).
Professional Education
- Bachelors of Architectural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 1985
- American Society of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) – Commissioning Process Management Professional (CPMP), 2015; Building Commissioning Professional (BCxP), 2018
- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Services (TEEX) – Various courses leading to PROBOARD HAZMAT Operations Certification 2014
- Cal OES Safety Assessment Inspector, 2019
- “The Safety Assessment Program (SAP) utilizes volunteers and mutual aid resources to provide professional engineers, architects, and certified building inspectors to assist local governments in safety evaluation of their built environment in the aftermath of a disaster. The program is managed by Cal OES, in cooperation with professional organizations..”
Professional Registrations / Qualifications
- Registered Professional Engineer:
- State of Maryland, District of Columbia, State of Delaware, State of Florida, State of New Jersey,
- State of New York, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State of West Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia, Commonwealth of Kentucky, State of Iowa, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- BCxP ASHRAE Building Commissioning Professional
- National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (NBFSPQ)
- Hazardous Materials/WMD First Responder - Awareness Level
- Core Operations Level
- Operations Level with Personal Protective Equipment Mission Specific Competency
- Military Emergency Management Specialist - Engineering Specialist Qualification Designation
- Cal OES Recovery Safety Assessment Inspector
- State of Maryland, District of Columbia, State of Delaware, State of Florida, State of New Jersey,
NSPE Involvement
- National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
- Member (2006 - Present)
- Delegate to National Convention (2009)
- PE Institute Training and Development Task Force (2022-2023, Reappointed for 2023-2024)
- Maryland Society of Professional Engineers (MDSPE)
- MDSPE Director (2006 - 2020)
- MDSPE Vice President Legislation (2006 - 2009)
- MDSPE President Elect (2009 - 2011)
- MDSPE President (2011 - 2012)
- MDSPE Treasurer (2013 - 2017)
Professional Affiliations
- Maryland Department of Labor, State Licensing Board for Professional Engineers -Member
- Vice Chair
- Ethics Committee Chair
- Complaint Committee Member
- National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors -Board Member
- Maryland Society of Professional Engineers’ Education Foundation – Trustee/Treasurer
- Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) – Commander - 121st Engineer Regiment
- Mr Hubner holds the rank of Colonel in the 121st Engineer Regiment of the MDDF (State Guard). The MDDF is one of the four pillars of the Maryland Military Department, the other three being the Maryland Army National Guard, the Maryland Air National Guard and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. The 121st Engineer Regiment provides a professional organized, trained, disciplined, uniformed rapid response volunteer force of engineers of all disciplines to assist the Maryland Military Department, state and local government agencies, and civil relief organizations in response to any impending or actual emergency. Mr Hubner deployed in active support of State emergency operation for Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, Winter Storms Armageddon and Jonas. Hubner was also called to State Active-Duty March 2020 thru June 2020 for the State’s response to the COVID crisis.
- State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS)
- Primary Author, Engineer Qualification Specialist Designation program (National Program)
- Engineering Academy Chair
- Annual Speaker at the National Conference
- American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
- Member Firm
- Past Political Action Committee (PAC) Chair
- Past MDCDP Representative (20 years).
- American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
- Member
- Past Chairman Refrigeration Committee ASHRAE Baltimore Chapter
- Maryland Council of Design Professionals (MDCDP) 1997-2020
- Engineering Representative
- The MDCDP is a group representing Engineers (ACEC/MD &MDSPE), Architects (AIA/MD), Land Surveyors (MSS), Landscape Architects (ASLA/MD) and Interior Designers (MDID). The group meets regularly to discuss and lobby proposed legislation affecting the practice of the design professions. Mr Hubner has been a member of this group since 1997 representing both ACEC and MDSPE until his appointment to the State Licensing Board by the Governor of Maryland
- Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
University of Maryland – College Park Scholars Program University of Maryland, College Park (3 credit course “Infrastructure and Society” offered annually for the past 11 years.
Topic: The How, What, and Why of Storm Sewer Post Installation Inspection
Bio: Coming soon!
Topic: Engineering Ethics (Afternoon Panel)
Bio: Ms. Leach is a registered engineer, specializing in the design of HVAC systems for healthcare facilities. Her current engineering focus includes the design of hybrid heating & cooling plants that incorporate simultaneous heating and cooling equipment like heat recovery chillers and air source heat pumps. It’s challenging work that maximizes our resources and strengthens our commitment to fossil fuel reduction.
In her spare time, Jennifer is an active volunteer for ASHRAE. At the Chapter level Jennifer has served in many committee chair positions and spent seven years on the board, including Baltimore Chapter President in 07-08. At the Society level Ms. Leach is currently serving on the Nominating Committee, TC1.7 Business Management and Legal Education and TC6.1 Hydronics and Steam.
Jen’s passion is the recruitment and retention of women in the building industry. She worked locally to establish the Women in ASHRAE affinity group and followed up by spearheading the initiative for the global Society. Jennifer takes every opportunity to empower women through mentoring and inspire girls to “be what they see” as a confident role model.
Topic: Maryland Data Center Energy Management (Morning Panel)
Bio:
Tae Lee is a Manager of Transmission & Substation Strategic Project Engineering at BGE, with 17 years of experience spanning Transmission Operations, Transmission Engineering, Transmission Planning, and System Protection. He leads a team responsible for substation projects supporting data centers and interconnection initiatives including solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects. Tae holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Maryland.
Topic: Lunch Keynote
Bio:
Secretary Serena McIlwain was confirmed as the Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) 11th Secretary in March 2023. Prior to this appointment, McIlwain was undersecretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.
A lifelong resident of the Washington, D.C. area, McIlwain worked in the federal government for 30 years, spending the first half of her career as an operations administrator and leading large organizations with billion-dollar budgets. Midway through her career, she transitioned to managing policy issues in the energy and environmental sector, holding senior executive positions at both the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). McIlwain was Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Assistant Secretary at DOE in the Office of Fossil Energy.
At the EPA, she served as Assistant Regional Administrator in Region 9, San Francisco. With a broad and diverse background in the public sector, working for six executive branches of government, the legislative branch of government, and serving as a Fellow for a United States Congressman, McIlwain uses her experience to lead MDE. The Secretary's priorities include ensuring that Maryland is positioned to meet its aggressive climate goals, strengthening environmental protection efforts by ending systemic environmental injustices, restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay, and leading with the purpose of achieving organizational excellence.
Topic: Maryland Data Center Energy Management (Morning Panel)
Bio:
A 35-year veteran of the power industry, David Molteni is a senior operations and engineering leader supporting safe, reliable performance in the nuclear energy industry and related engineering services. He currently serves as Senior Manager, Constellation Projects and Services, where he leads early engineering and strategy work enabling large load and mixed-use colocation opportunities across Constellation’s fleet as well as new generation projects in both nuclear and non-nuclear constructs. His work spans stakeholder alignment, advisory work with external clients and major vendors, coordination with internal design, construction, legal, and government affairs teams, and development of practical, site-specific solutions that align technical delivery with evolving commercial and regulatory needs.
Professional History
Prior to his current role, David served as Senior Manager of Digital Modernization, leading a first-of-a-kind industry pilot to integrate digital controls into an operating nuclear facility, including operator interface development and direct engagement with the regulatory authority. He previously held increasing roles of responsibility with engineering and operations as well as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. David began his career in engineering services and design roles supporting industrial and naval nuclear applications.
Education
David earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from The Cooper Union. His professional credentials include Nuclear Senior Reactor Operator licensure and prior qualifications as an operations examiner with the NRC and certified instructor in licensed operator training programs.
Topic: Maryland Data Center Energy Management (Morning Panel)
Bio:
Tom is a Registered Professional Engineer with 17 years of experience in electrical infrastructure design, including 11 years focused on mission-critical facilities and gigawatt-scale data center development. He currently serves as Director, Data Center Development Design & Engineering at AREP, where he leads the engineering strategy and technical delivery for the firm’s expanding data center development portfolio. Based at AREP headquarters in McLean, VA, Tom is responsible for implementing a scalable design platform that supports efficient development, infrastructure planning, and long-term asset value across new data center campuses.
Prior to joining AREP, Tom served as Manager of Electrical Engineering for the Design Engineering team at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he led a multi-region team responsible for delivering some of the company’s largest data center development programs in Virginia. In that role, he partnered closely with development, construction, and operations teams to align engineering solutions with site development strategies, power availability, and long-term campus scalability.
During his tenure at AWS, Tom delivered more than 1 gigawatt of operational data center capacity and led the design and strategic planning for an additional 3.5 gigawatts of infrastructure across large-scale campuses. His work supported accelerated project delivery, optimized infrastructure investment, and enabled scalable expansion to meet rapidly growing customer demand. Tom brings a development-oriented approach to engineering, focusing on infrastructure planning, cost efficiency, and design standardization to maximize long-term value for complex data center assets.
Tom’s Highlighted Previous Positions:
Amazon Web Services, Manager, Electrical Engineering
Black & Veatch, Senior Electrical Engineer
Morrison Hershfield Corporation, Senior Electrical Engineer
Education & Licenses:
Associate of Science in Engineering, Electrical Engineering, The Community College of Baltimore County
Licensed Professional Engineer (MD, NY, DE)
LEED AP BD+C (Building Design and Construction advanced credential), Accredited Professional
Professional Affiliations:
Maryland Society of Professional Engineers – Baltimore Chapter, Member
National Society of Professional Engineers, Member
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Member
A little bit more about Tom:
Tom was born and raised in Baltimore and is a proud Ravens football fan. He and his family recently relocated to Frederick, Maryland, where he enjoys exploring new local restaurants and discovering historical sites.
He is the father of three daughters and enjoys golf and traveling to Key West whenever possible.
Topic: Decarbonizing Baltimore's World Trade Center
Bio:
Sam is a mechanical engineer and project manager with JMT, where he has 13 years of experience working on the design, construction, and commissioning of HVAC systems for commercial buildings. His projects include renovations and new construction for offices, airports, schools, and maintenance facilities. Few days have been the same, from field inspections & surveys, building thermal load and energy calculations, 2D, 3D, & CFD modeling, mechanical systems design, specification writing, control systems design, to systems commissioning. More recently, energy audits and decarbonization studies have become an important part of supporting clients as they plan for future building projects.
Sam is an active member of ASHRAE (an HVAC-focused engineering society with over 50,000 members worldwide) and a former president of the ASHRAE Baltimore Chapter. Sam is a 2012 graduate of Lafayette College.
Topic: Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland (A-StoRM) Update
Bio:
KC is the Senior Director of Project Services and a Senior Principal at Rodgers Consulting. He has over twenty years of experience providing land development consulting for a variety of private clients with land development projects located primarily
in Frederick and Montgomery Counties in Maryland.
As Senior Director, he is responsible for all technical practice areas at Rodgers which include land planning, environmental sciences, engineering, landscape architecture and surveying services.
His passion is leading design innovation and integration across Rodgers’ various service lines focusing on creating optimal solutions through collaboration. Most recently such innovations have included enhanced stormwater management systems by creating unique design techniques through the collaboration of civil engineering and landscape architecture practices.
Since 2023, he has represented the Maryland Building Industry Association (MBIA) as part of Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) Stakeholder Consultation Group related to the Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland (A-StoRM) program. This program is integral to MDE’s efforts to advance current stormwater management regulations to account for current and future climate change within the State.
Topic: Engineering Ethics (Afternoon Panel)
Bio:
Rachel Sangree is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, serving as the department’s director of undergraduate studies for Civil Engineering and the program chair for Engineering for Professionals (EP) Civil Engineering. She is also a member of the Ralph S. O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI), through which she co-developed a high school course in Sustainable Energy Engineering, now offered as one of JHU’s Engineering Innovation Pre-College Programs.
Sangree’s research and academic interests are focused on engineering education in the areas of Structural Engineering and Historic Structures, specifically the identification and implementation of effective teaching methods in undergraduate civil engineering programs. She is also interested in exploring methods to attract and retain future generations of civil engineers through community engagement and K-12 outreach.
Sangree is a past winner of the Robert B. Pond, Sr. Excellence in Teaching Award at Johns Hopkins, which recognizes faculty who excel in the art of teaching, advising, and mentoring.
Sangree earned her BS and MS degrees in civil engineering from Bucknell University, her PhD from Johns Hopkins University, and worked as a bridge design engineer in Whitman, Requardt, and Associates, LLP in Baltimore, MD. She is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Maryland and currently serving as the President on the ASCE Maryland Section Board.
Topic: Maryland Data Center Energy Management (Morning Panel)
Bio:
Haijian Shi is a transmission planning and reliability engineering manager at Exelon supporting PJM regional planning, large load interconnections, and grid reliability. His work focuses on the integration of large‑scale data centers, transmission system reinforcement, and compliance with PJM and NERC planning standards, bridging technical analysis with regulatory and stakeholder engagement. Dr. Shi leads cross‑functional coordination among utilities, planners, project teams, and regulators to address the reliability and infrastructure challenges posed by rapid load growth. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering and is both a licensed Professional Engineer and a Project Management Professional.
Topic: Engineering Ethics (Afternoon Panel)
Bio:
Brian Tarantino serves as the Director of Structural Operations at TLC Engineering Solutions (TLC). He received his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1995, later earning a Master of Engineering with a Structural Concentration from the University of Maryland in 2000. In 2013, Brian founded and led Tarantino Engineering Consultants (TEC) which was recently acquired by TLC.
His structural engineering career spans decades of growth and achievement. Over the years, Brian and his team have earned dozens of design awards recognizing their work across recreational, institutional, commercial, retail, and residential sectors, including standout local projects such as Guinness Open Gate Brewery and Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Having designed and investigated thousands of structures, Brian brings deep insight into creating efficient, constructible designs and solving complex engineering challenges. He is also a passionate educator and thought leader, frequently lecturing to students, presenting to professional organizations, and sharing his expertise through podcasts, radio, and television interviews.