2025 Expert Speakers

Meet the experts who will be sharing their knowledge and insight!
  1. Education
  2. Rail Innovation in Action
  3. 2025 Expert Speakers

Our expert speakers are coming from across the rail industry,
and we are honored to have them be a part of this program.










Transit Lab







Meet our experts:

Week 1

Ty O. Smith

CSRM Ty Smith

California State Railroad Museum
Museum Director

Ty Smith, Ph.D., is the Museum Director at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California. As museum director, he is responsible for managing the California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento Southern Railroad, Old Sacramento State Historic Park and the historic Southern Pacific Shops.

Smith has worked within California State Parks for the past 20 years, and joined the Museum from Hearst Castle where he was the chief of museum interpretation. He earned a Ph.D. in Public History from the University of California Santa Barbara, an M.A. in Public History from California State University Sacramento, and a B.A. in History from California Polytechnic University State University-San Luis Obispo. He also serves as a professor of Museum Studies in the Graduate Public History Program at Sacramento State.

Christopher Rogers

Christopher Rogers sq

California State University, Sacramento
Assistant Professor

Chris is an ethnographer and Assistant Professor at California State University, Sacramento (Sociology). He has been leading the creation and implementation of invention focused interdisciplinary coursework at Sacramento State. Driven by a commitment to equitable innovation, Chris works to advance technologies that prioritize accessible, affordable health solutions for marginalized communities.

This focus on creating systemic change is complemented by a personal passion for exploration, knowledge, and community-based care, ensuring all people have the resources needed to live a healthy and sustainable life.

Chris advocates for the building of opportunities for learning through Invention Education that would start in the early grades and continue through college to support invention education intellectual property understanding and entrepreneurship. He has been affiliated with LMIT since 2016, including teaching in LMIT’s youth serving initiatives in Cambridge, MA.

Week 2

Matt Anderson

Matt Anderson

The Henry Ford Museum
Curator of Transportation

Matt Anderson is the John and Horace Dodge Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. In that post, he oversees the development, care and interpretation of the museum’s collection of nearly 300 motor vehicles.

Matt also oversees the museum’s collection of horse-drawn carriages, railroad locomotives and rolling stock, as well as aircraft. Matt is a past president of the National Association of Automobile Museums, and a member of the board of directors for the Society of Automotive Historians. He has previously worked at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland; the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana; and the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Week 3

Jesse Voremberg

Jesse Voremberg RTC

Rails to Trails Conservancy
Trail Development Manager, Western Region

Jesse is the Trail Development Manager for the Western Region for Rails to Trails Conservancy, which is the nation’s largest trails advocacy organization. Based out of Oakland, he works with public agency staff, advocates, and consultants in California and the Pacific Northwest to build more infrastructure for people to safely walk and roll to everyday destinations. While rail-trails feature prominently in his day-to-day, he works to improve all aspects of pedestrian and bicycle mobility.

He previously worked as environmental planner, focused on the intersection of housing and transportation. He received his Master of Science in Environmental Policy & Management from the University of California, Davis.

Week 4

Courtney Scott

Courtney Scott

Union Pacific Railroad
Manager, Bulk Sales

Courtney Scott brings nearly three decades of experience in Marketing & Sales at Union Pacific Railroad, where she currently serves as Manager of Bulk Sales, specializing in Food & Beverage Products. Her journey with Union Pacific began in 1998 as a Marketing Intern at its subsidiary, Union Pacific Distribution Services.

Over the years, she has held a variety of roles, including analyst on the survey team and sales & marketing positions within the Paper, Coal & Ag Products team.

Courtney is a proud graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Management and Marketing. She is currently pursuing her MBA at the same institution, further deepening her expertise and leadership in the transportation industry.

Known for her strategic mindset, collaborative approach, and deep industry knowledge, Courtney is passionate about driving value for customers and mentoring the next generation of leaders in logistics and supply chain.

Week 5

Navi Dhaliwal

Navi Dhaliwal Caltrain

Caltrain
Government and Community Affairs Manager

Navi Dhaliwal serves as the Manager of Government and Community Affairs for Capital and Major Projects at Caltrain. In this role, she leads government relations and community engagement efforts for key infrastructure initiatives, including grade separations, transit-oriented development, and major capital investments that advance regional mobility.

Before stepping into her current role, Navi served as a Government Affairs Officer, where she guided complex stakeholder and agency coordination under tight timelines and high visibility. Her leadership has been recognized for balancing technical project needs with proactive and transparent public engagement.

Navi holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dominican University, a Master’s in Public Policy and Public Administration from Northwestern University, and a Public Policy Certificate from the Panetta Institute for Public Policy. Her professional background includes extensive experience in government affairs and community outreach, spanning work in legislative offices, the utility sector, and advocacy organizations focused on housing and equity.

An active member of APTA, Navi is part of the Emerging Leaders Program and is passionate about advancing the next generation of transportation professionals through mentorship and collaboration. Outside of work, she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen with her sous chef, Kobe, her Chihuahua Terrier.

Week 6

Scott Ellis

S Ellis Siemens square

Siemens Mobility, Inc.
West Coast Director of Business Development

Scott Ellis is the West Coast Director of Business Development at Siemens Mobility, Inc. Scott has been with Siemens since August 2019. He has been in the public transportation business sector since 2004 where he has held technical sales leadership roles across componentry, system suppliers, and competitive rolling stock manufacturers, both domestically and internationally.

His commitment, and interest in advancing transportation technologies for the betterment of urban mobility is his driving force. When not at work Scott enjoys getting lost in the wilds of the California mountains and deserts or lost in the never-ending DIY renovation projects at home.

Week 7

Magdalena Misiewicz

Magdalena Misiewicz Headshot

The MIT Transit Lab
Interdepartmental Program in Transportation

Magdalena Misiewicz is a student in the Interdepartmental Program in Transportation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Transit Lab. Prior to joining MIT she was a Senior Transport Analyst at Imperial College London’s Transport Strategy Centre. There she was in charge of annual benchmarking for the Community of Metros (COMET) group, a congregation of over 40 metro organisations worldwide.

Before Imperial, she worked at Steer, a transport consultancy, as well as at TfL’s London Transport Museum. Magdalena holds a degree in BSc Urban Studies from University College London; her primary research interests lie with mass transit, in particular fare policies and defining the value of transit as a public good.

Week 8

YOU!

LMIT Young girl at laptop

Students will present in teams their own research projects to friends and family.

Program Administrators

Stephanie Couch, PhD

Stephanie Couch, PhD

Lemelson-MIT Program

As the Executive Director, Stephanie leads a team which helps educators and students learn ways inventors find and solve problems important to their communities. She has dedicated her career to K-12 and higher education policy issues and invention education research.

Carly Starr

Carly Starr

California State Railroad Museum

An avid museum and history enthusiast with a varied background in administration and museums, Carly is the Special Projects Manager for CSRM. She believes that museums are a great place to explore history, art & technology as they relate to our human experience.

Alondra Moreno

Alondra Moreno

California State Railroad Museum

As a biochemist-turned-educator, Alondra has been dedicated to STEM enrichment and community outreach since 2013. She delivers engaging programs, emphasizing hands-on learning and the transformative impact of STEM on our past and future.

Tracy Callahan

Tracy Callahan

Callahan-Marvelle Consulting

Tracy is a science educator with a PhD in neuroscience who loves helping kids explore STEM. She has spent over 20 years creating fun, hands-on programs that help young people learn about science and imagine future careers. She also helps teachers make STEM more engaging.

Amanda Marvelle

Amanda Marvelle

Callahan-Marvelle Consulting

Amanda is a science nerd turned STEM educator. She has a PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology and loves to help students discover how awesome science can be. She has taught and developed programs across the world and helped start a high school focused on STEM.

Nia Gipson

Nia Gipson

Lemelson-MIT Program

Nia is a middle/high school teacher in Boston, MA. She has worked in STEAM education for the past 10+ years in schools, museums, summer camps, afterschool programs, and other community organizations. She is excited to add her skills and expertise to this program!

Sam Estabrooks

Sam Estabrooks

Lemelson-MIT Program

Sam is a biochemist and life-long train enthusiast. After completing his Ph.D. in 2020, he joined an IP law firm as a junior patent practitioner. In 2025 he joined Lemelson-MIT and serves as a subject matter expert and instructor. He’s eager to lend his technical skills to supporting the program’s online components.

Tamara Galoyan

Tamara Galoyan

Lemelson-MIT Program

Tamara is an Invention Education Learning and Curriculum Specialist. She holds a PhD degree in Educational Leadership and Learning Technologies. Her research is interdisciplinary and lies at the intersection of Learning Sciences, STEM education, and learning technologies.

Program Instructors

Nia Gipson

Nia Gipson

Lemelson-MIT Program

Nia is a middle/high school teacher in Boston, MA. She has worked in STEAM education for the past 10+ years in schools, museums, summer camps, afterschool programs, and other community organizations. She is excited to add her skills and expertise to this program!

Chris Rogers

Chris Rogers

Instructor

Chris is an ethnographer and Assistant Professor at CSU Sacramento. He has led the creation and implementation of invention-focused interdisciplinary coursework. He works to advance technologies that prioritize accessible solutions for marginalized communities.

Dan Borkowski

Dan Borkowski

Instructor

Dan is a science teacher in Boston and has been involved in science education for over fifteen years. Prior to teaching high school, he worked in the field of plant genetics and evolution. Dan completed his B.S. in Biology with a minor in English literature and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences.

Dominic Fucile

Dominic Fucile

Instructor

Dominic is a STEM education and science communicator. He has taught or developed curriculum with numerous STEM education programs at MIT including Space Systems Design at MIT AeroAstro, the MITES summer program, and the Open Learning Center.

Katia Avila

Katia Avila

Instructor

Katia helped invent the Heart & Sole, an at-home medical device to monitor a diabetic’s foot health. It received a US patent. She is an advocate for invention education as a public speaker and K-12 educator. Katia is a Computer Networks student at UC Santa Cruz.

Monaliza Maximo Chian

Monaliza Maximo Chian

Instructor

Monaliza is an ethnographer specializing in education research and problem-based learning. She teaches university on the science and practice of well-being, transformative education, and integrating theory and practice. She holds a PhD in teaching, learning, and research methodology.

Neveah Trigo

Neveah Trigo

Instructor

Nevaeh is skilled in academic research, human resources and organizational behavior, and engineering design (UX researcher and user experience). She is committed to ensuring that data, education, invention, and policy reflect the lived experiences of vulnerable populations.

Tsogtbaatar (“Togs”) Otgonbaatar

Tsogtbaatar (“Togs”) Otgonbaatar

Instructor

Togs is a first-generation Mongolian immigrant and former teacher. Now a Sacramento State graduate student and intern at the California State Railroad Museum, he hopes to aid Mongolian museums. He loves studying railroads and lives with his wife and dog.

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