In the Spotlight

Dr. Ramez Hajj, Assistant Professor in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, visited the Airport  Technology R&D Branch on April 21, 2026 for a technical visit that included tours of the National Airport Pavement Test Facility, the National Airport Pavement Materials Research Center, and NextGen Pavement Materials Laboratory. Topics of discussion focused on current Pavement research at ATRD. Dr. Hajj's research interests include asphalt materials and flexible pavements, investigating asphalt binder behavior at the molecular, nano-, and micro-scale, to developing novel materials for roadway pavement and railroad trackbed applications. His research focuses on asphalt binders, bio-binders, mixtures, and pavements. In 2025, Dr. Hajj and his doctoral student worked on ACRP project "Exploring the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement in
airfield asphalt mixes based on cohesive binder failure and strength", Dr. Navneet Garg (ATRD) was the FAA mentor on the project. The visit focused on exploring collaborative opportunities in the area of innovative asphalt materials.

Navneet Garg | ANG-E262

Dr. Dan Offenbacker visited Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ, to observe the construction of Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) pavement test sections sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). Visits like this help the FAA stay informed about emerging pavement materials and construction practices used on highways, while also fostering valuable collaboration between agencies.

Dan Offenbacker | ANG-E262

The Airports Emerging Technologies Section (E263) hosted a collaboration with the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) team on April 20-24, 2026. Various detection and mitigation systems were tested against several UAS platforms with an integration of situational testing of contemporary issues within the community of practice. General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) personnel provided flying operations and logistical support for a rich environmental context for a test bed. The test bed enabled continuity in testing, validating, and verifying C-UAS technology effectiveness and suitability in a field setting. System performance data were collected for analysis in an effort to equip a very robust knowledge network with an operational agility to mitigate UAS threat changes and variations in the technology marketplace. With both teams focused on airport safety, the value stream from these collaborations will result in benefits across the aviation continuum. 

Dr. Navneet Garg participated in the Annual Meeting of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT), in Boston, MA, on March 21-25, 2026. The meeting included asphalt-related technical interchange sessions presented by experts from around the world, providing information on the latest developments in asphalt binder and asphalt mix testing to refine/modify FAA P401 specifications and standards to improve airport pavement performance and to develop a testing plan for the next test cycle at FAA's National Airport Pavement & Materials Research Center (NAPMRC). Dr. Garg had discussions with the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) regarding the Airport Asphalt Pavement Technology Program (AAPTP), an FAA-Industry partnership required by the FAA Reauthorization Bill. Dr. Garg also met with the principle investigators of Balanced Mix Design Project (for developing specifications for limiting asphalt rutting and cracking in airfield pavements). The meeting was attended by more than 250 U.S. and international representatives of the asphalt industry, academia, consultants, and federal agencies. Navneet Garg | navneet.garg@faa.gov

Dr. Navneet Garg spoke in an online webinar "Designing for Performance in Perpetual Asphalt Pavements" on March 19, 2026, organized by the Transportation Research Board. The topic of his presentation was "Perpetual Pavements for Airfields," and he presented results from accelerated pavement tests conducted during construction cycles 7 and 9. The webinar was attended by more than 360 participants from around the world.

Navneet Garg | navneet.garg@faa.gov