Michelle Fowler leads TRC’s Advanced Mobility group in research, testing, and evaluation of cutting-edge vehicle safety and mobility technologies. In this role, Michelle oversees programs in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), automated driving systems (ADS), and connected vehicle technologies, driving TRC’s mission to accelerate safe deployment of emerging mobility solutions across the transportation ecosystem. Michelle also serves as the lead for TRC’s Research Consortium for Crashworthiness in Automated Driving Systems (RCCADS), a collaborative initiative uniting government agencies, automotive manufacturers, suppliers, and academic partners to develop foundational research, validation methods, and tools that improve occupant protection and crashworthiness in automated vehicles.
Michelle joined TRC in 2018 with a strong foundation in biomedical engineering and occupant safety research. She began her career at TRC as a Research Engineer within the Dummy Management Lab, quickly advancing to Team Leader and later serving as Manager of Crash Safety and Program Manager at NHTSA’s Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC), where she led a multi-disciplinary team focused on applied biomechanics, development of crash test dummies, and vehicle crashworthiness.
An Ohio State University alumna, Michelle holds both a Bachelor and Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering. She is passionate about mentorship and professional development, especially mentoring other women entering the mobility space. Michelle is also a Leadership Ohio alumna, a statewide leadership development program that expands her engagement with public- and private-sector leaders across Ohio.