Welcoming ICT's newest crew members

Illinois Center for Transportation is proud to introduce our newest staff members. Please join us in giving this new crew a warm welcome!

Mohsen Motlagh

Motlagh joined ICT’s engineering team as a research engineer in December 2021.

Prior to ICT, the Iran native worked for 10 years as an executive civil engineer, chief executive officer and founder of a company that focused on transportation, concrete foundations and sewer networks.

Motlagh holds a bachelor’s from Semnan University (Semnan, Iran) and a master of applied science from Rowan University (Glassboro, New Jersey) — both in civil engineering.

As a research engineer, Motlagh “works on various challenging research projects with the most knowledgeable academics and assists graduate students.”

He is excited to join ICT’s efforts on a “novel research topic,” the Illinois Autonomous and Connected Track, a proposed multimodal, high-speed autonomous and connected vehicle test track.

Issam Qahmia

Qahmia joined ICT’s research team as a research scientist in January.

The Nabulus, Palestine native earned his bachelor’s from Birzeit University, master’s from University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee and doctorate from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — all in civil engineering.

What excites him the most about his role at ICT? His new duties.

“My role entails duties that require me to learn and use technical, management and interpersonal skills,” Qahmia said.

He enjoys mixing those skills to help steer ICT’s state-of-the-art research and technologies.

Qahmia also enjoys “working around the professional, talented and friendly staff and students at ICT.”

Nick York

York, a Champaign native, assists ICT’s communications efforts as a program coordinator and began in February.

York attended the University of Illinois Chicago and earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice and master’s in business administration.

Given his prior experience in school buses and package delivery, “autonomous vehicles” is what excites him the most about working at ICT.

“I’m really curious to see how autonomous vehicles and smart infrastructure can help with the logistics of transporting and delivering people and goods,” York said.