ITSNJ Spring Webinar Series: Meet our Speakers

Part One: NJDOT’s Smart and Connected Corridor Program

Drew Horgan, PE, PTOE is a Project Manager for Jacobs in Philadelphia, PA. Drew has progressive work experience in multiple facets of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in Pennsylvania and New Jersey including Connected Vehicles, ITS planning, design, construction management services, operations, integration, device testing and maintenance. Recently Drew has worked on the New Jersey Connected Technology Integration and Implementation (NJCTII) pilot project, the Smart Moves South ITS/CV design project, and as assistant Program Manager for the Smart and Connected Corridor CV design projects on behalf of NJDOT.  Drew currently is the immediate past president for ITSPA and is a graduate of Villanova University.

Hirenkumar Patel is an Assistant Engineer-Electrical in Mobility Engineering and started with the New Jersey Department of Transportation just over three years ago. He is a graduate from Rutgers University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He has worked on various projects focused on the deployment of Intelligent Transportation System devices statewide. He was also involved in Mobility Engineering Connected Vehicle initiatives & has worked with all stakeholder at TCNJ lab & performing Assistant Project Manager Role for Smart & Connected Project. He has a passion for the various communication systems used for the ITS devices, along with future technologies.

Mark Knellinger is Cisco’s lead transportation solutions architect for the global Smart Cities and Transportation Group.  Mark has been a Cisco architect for 15 years and has transformed Cisco’s Connected Roadways business to include advances in edge compute, data architecture and integration, and authentication and security.  Mark developed the methodology for the application of Cisco’s Kinetic Edge Intelligence (EI) to weather sensors for the Tennessee DOT and has since led Cisco in Connected Roadways deployments in Las Vegas, Ohio, and Texas, among others.  Mark has also been the lead of Cisco’s advances in connector development for protocols to include NTCIP, Modbus, Serial, SNMP, MQTT, DMX, DNP3, Advantech, Z-Wave, Digi, and ESRI, among others.

Mark has been working as an innovator in technology his entire career. Working as a networking architect for Nielsen Media Research, then moving to Coleman Technologies, Inc., a Cisco partner and now 15 years with Cisco Systems, Inc. He attained Cisco’s highest engineering certification, the CCIE. This experience has given direct insight to the dynamics involved in designing and delivering solutions to meet the needs of business. His work in transportation was led by a lifetime of embedded systems development focused on integration of disparate systems. Building on those experiences, he is driven to see the vision of a solution to meet the demands of the roadways. Understanding that only by bringing technology partners and emerging technologies together can we create innovative ways to save lives, and deliver on the promise of automated vehicles and the road to zero initiative. An author and co-author of 2 patent applications, and a member of SAE and IEEE, he is continuing to create solutions and combine compelling partnerships to deliver new solutions in the industry.