Page 34 - LWFC Catalog

SPEAKER BIOS
SPEAKER BIOS

Jack Moore, PE. Jack is the marketing and technical manager for Arcosa Lightweight’s south
region. Arcosa Lightweight is America’s largest producer of expanded shale and clay lightweight
aggregate with operations in eight states. His experience includes over 30 years of consulting,
field marketing, and construction product sales. Jack began his engineering career with The
Wooten Company in Raleigh, NC. He subsequently held various field sales and marketing roles
with Contech Engineered Solutions and Tensar International where he served as distribution
manager and area engineer supporting distribution and promotional efforts. Jack is a 1985 Civil
Engineering graduate of NC State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in North and
South Carolina. He is active in ASTM, TRB, and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) where he has
held branch and section board positions including president of the South Carolina Section in 2011.

Silas Nichols, PhD, PE. Silas Nichols is the Principal Geotechnical Engineer for the Federal
Highway Administration’s Office of Infrastructure. Silas is responsible for providing leadership
and direction for the FHWA National Geotechnical Team through policy support, technical
developments, and coordination with industry and professional groups. Silas has been with
the FHWA for nearly 20 years both in Headquarters and with the Resource Center. Silas has
a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University, and a Master’s Degree in
Geotechnical Engineering from Tuft’s University. Prior to employment with the FHWA, Silas
served more than 10 years in private consulting in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic US.

Michael Oakland, PhD, PE. Michael Oakland is a Vice President with Thornton Tomasetti in
Boston, Massachusetts. He has 34 years of experience in the analysis, design and construction
of foundations and other geotechnically related aspects of projects ranging from dams
to high rise structures. Michael Oakland received his BS in Civil Engineering from The
Pennsylvania State University. He earned his Masters and Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering
from Purdue University. He formerly worked for Haley & Aldrich and CDM in Cambridge prior
to joining Thornton Tomasetti. He has completed projects and field assignments throughout
the United States as well as Asia, Africa and Russia. Dr. Oakland currently works as part of
Thornton Tomasetti’s Infrastructure Group which specializes in providing engineering services to Contractors
and Owners. He is a professional registered engineer in eleven states.

Tolga Özer PhD. Tolga is an Associated Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering
of the Gebze Technical University, Turkey. He received his Ph.D. from University of Utah and
has over twenty years of experience in geotechnical engineering including both consulting
and research. He has worked on a wide variety of geotechnical engineering consulting and
research projects that includes using geofoam blocks in civil engineering applications, earth
dam design for water storage purposes, ground improvement, tailing pond design, dredge
material characterization and disposal site design, slope rehabilitation, pre-construction
geotechnical engineering analysis to final construction geotechnical inspection. He has not
only worked in wide range of geotechnical research projects but has also published scientific research reports
regarding specific design objectives. He is the co-editor of the Proceedings of 5th International Conference
on Geofoam Blocks in Construction Applications (EPS2018), Kyrenia. His current research activities are focused
on using geofoam blocks in transportation infrastructure, using synthetic fibers in slope remediation, long-
term field monitoring of various geotechnologies, drainage function of geosynthetics for geosynthetically
reinforced soil walls, slopes and embankments.