Directory
Team Profile
You may also view staff resumes on the ITRE staff page.
Debra Collins earned her M.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Virginia She worked as a transit manager in a medium-size transit system for over 10 years prior to joining ITRE. Her professional expertise includes: project, grant, and budget administration; market research and analysis (transit and transportation); fiscal planning, forecasting and budgeting; marketing and public relations; service planning and design; transportation planning; fixed-route and paratransit operations (maintenance concepts, dispatch, scheduling); and computer application design, programming, implementation, and training.
Thomas Cook's professional expertise is in managing, coordinating, and conducting paratransit, rail, and taxicab research projects. Recent projects include providing technical assistance to the Ohio Department of Transportation for implementation of advanced technologies, developing a Policies and Procedures Manual for the NCDOT Rail Division Engineering and Safety Branch, and contributing to TCRP Project B-16: Analysis of the Private-For-Hire Vehicle Industry and Its Role in Public Transit.
Mr. Cook is also a contributing author to a taxonomy of advanced technologies for deployment at rural and small urban transit systems developed as part of TCRP Project B-17: Advanced Rural Transportation Systems: Where Do We Start? How Far Should We Go? Other recent projects have ranged from presenting qualitative economic impact data on potential rail passenger service preferences for the NCDOT Rail Division, to developing recommendations on the need for additional taxicab permits in the City of San Diego, to developing an Alternative-Fueled Bus Purchase Plan for the NCDOT and the NC Department of the Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. Cook received his Master's of Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Jud Lawrie is a Sr. Research Associate with ITRE’s Public Transportation Group. Recent federal and state public transportation research projects have included:
- Coordination strategies for special services for the transportation disadvantaged;
- Regionalizing public transportation systems in North Carolina;
- Strategic management and planning in the transit industry;
- Tools for recruiting, hiring and retaining a high-quality transit workforce;
- The economic impact of bicycling on the Outer Banks;
- The use of performance measures and benchmarking for improving transit services and allocating transit funding; and,
- Alternative fuels and vehicles for transit in North Carolina.
Prior to joining ITRE, Sr. Lawrie served in the public transportation arena in Illinois for over 25 years. He was the first director of the Illinois Office of Mass Transportation that developed and administered a statewide program of operating and capital grants for public transportation. He next worked for the Chicago Regional Transportation Authority for five years and directed the implementation of a multi-million dollar program of new suburban bus service—100 new routes and 70 expanded routes. He also directed the development of a major new program of paratransit services (28 systems), and conducted a productivity review of all existing suburban bus services. Later, he worked for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) for 15 years as Budget Director, Vice President of Corporate Development, and Deputy Executive Director of Budget, Planning and M.I.S. Mr. Lawrie earned a BBA from Baylor University, an MBA from the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, and a Certificate in Advanced Studies in Organization Development, Loyola University/Chicago.
Mary Paul Meletiou is ITRE’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager. She joined the staff in February 2003, having previously worked for the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation since 1975. Meletiou is responsible for the development of many model programs and initiatives in the bicycle and pedestrian arena and has a broad range of expertise and hands-on experience in bicycle and pedestrian policy, planning, education, design and technical assistance. She has been active both professionally and personally in promoting the planning and development of bicycle and pedestrian friendly communities.
Mary holds a BA in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with a diverse educational background in other subject areas such as cartography, education and sociology.
Sarah O'Brien is a Research Associate in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program. She has worked on several projects since coming to ITRE in 2004 including NCDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant application and review process, coordination of bicycle and pedestrian facility design training workshops, and general research, development, editing, and review of documents for various bicycle and pedestrian programs and initiatives.
Sarah holds a Master of Environmental Science and Management degree from the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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