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Transportation Research Center Appoints Alaine Wetli as Director of Government Technical Services

EAST LIBERTY, Ohio — An expert transportation safety engineer has been appointed Director of Government Technical Services at the Transportation Research Center, Inc., North America’s most advanced, independent mobility testing service provider, the center announced today. 

Alaine Wetli will assume this newly created position to strengthen TRC’s government technical services, including continued support of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC), which is located on TRC’s East Liberty, Ohio campus.  

Wetli has been with TRC since 2017, beginning her career as a crashworthiness research engineer and later took on the role as the crashworthiness engineering team lead. Most recently, she served as the Manager of Technical Services where she oversaw the defects analysis group, fabrication shop, and administrative support group. In addition to her manager role, she serves as TRC’s program manager for the VRTC services contract and as a member of the TRC Employee Recognition Team.  

Wetli brings to the new job a strong combination of technical expertise, operational leadership, and experience supporting federal research and testing programs, said Brett Roubinek, president and CEO of TRC.  

“As we continue our long-standing support of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Research and Test Center and plan for future government technical services opportunities, Alaine’s leadership will help ensure we deliver consistent, high-quality technical support aligned with our mission,” Roubinek said. 

In her new role, Wetli will oversee TRC’s government technical services, which are part of the organization’s Contract Services offerings. These services provide engineering and technical personnel on full-time assignment to clients either at client locations or at TRC facilities and range from engineering technicians, mechanical and electrical technicians, research engineers, designers, and trained test drivers. 

TRC’s technical services support a range of technical areas, including vehicle components, crashworthiness, crash avoidance, biomechanics, test devices and procedures, product evaluations, mechanical support, and test driving. The services are designed to provide flexible, high-quality technical support that helps government and industry partners meet safety, performance, and research objectives. 

Wetli holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University and a Master of Business Administration from Ohio University. Before joining TRC, she conducted biomechanics and trauma-related research at Ohio State and completed multiple medical device R&D internships with Zimmer Biomet. 

For more than 50 years, TRC has served as North America’s most advanced service provider, fulfilling the complex engineering, research, validation, evaluation, and testing needs of the world’s leading smart mobility and transportation stakeholders. For over 50 years, industry and governmental agencies alike have relied on TRC Inc. to conduct research into automation, connectivity, alternative fuels (including electrification and hydrogen), safety, efficiency, durability, simulation, and performance across all types of vehicles.