Media resources

David Harkey
President, IIHS-HLDI

David Harkey is president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute.

Before taking the helm at IIHS-HLDI in 2018, Dr. Harkey led the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center for 11 years. There he directed numerous projects to improve roadway design and operations for all road users, develop tools and strategies for enhanced safety analysis and improved data collection, and create training materials for safety professionals. He has led major research programs and projects for the Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other public agencies throughout his career and published numerous technical reports and peer-reviewed articles.

Dr. Harkey received a doctorate in civil engineering from North Carolina State University and a master's degree and bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is actively involved in several professional organizations, including the Transportation Research Board and the Institute for Transportation Engineers.

Joe Nolan
Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President, Vehicle Research, IIHS

Joseph Nolan is chief administrative officer and senior vice president for vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, where he has worked since 1992. His responsibilities include planning and oversight of the Institute's vehicle research and ratings. He also is responsible for coordinating IT and operations at both the Vehicle Research Center, located north of Charlottesville, Va., and the Institute's Arlington office. Mr. Nolan was instrumental in coordinating the research center's $30 million expansion.

Mr. Nolan is author of numerous research papers published by the Society of Automotive Engineers and in scientific journals. He is an expert on vehicle compatibility in crashes, occupant protection in front and side impacts, low-speed damageability, and accident investigation and reconstruction. He trained with BMW in Munich in both car and motorcycle crash investigation.

Mr. Nolan's received a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia. He previously earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University.

Michael Fagin
General Counsel, Secretary/Treasurer and Vice President, Government Relations, IIHS

Michael Fagin is general counsel, secretary/treasurer and vice president for government relations at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. He joined the Institute in 2007 as an attorney and now manages the organization's finances as well as its relationship with federal and state agencies and legislatures. He is also involved with the Institute's research relating to changes in state highway safety laws.

Mr. Fagin received a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jessica Cicchino
Senior Vice President, Research, IIHS

Jessica Cicchino is senior vice president for research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, where she oversees the Institute’s work on driver behavior, human factors and roadway infrastructure.

Dr. Cicchino is the author of over 75 peer-reviewed papers on topics such as distracted driving, speed, pedestrian safety, crash avoidance technology and driving automation.

Prior to joining the Institute as a research scientist in 2012, Dr. Cicchino worked as a research psychologist at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. She received a doctorate in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from Vassar College.

Jessica Jermakian
Senior Vice President, Vehicle Research, IIHS

Jessica S. Jermakian is senior vice president for vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Dr. Jermakian has authored dozens of papers on topics ranging from crash avoidance and crashworthiness to child passenger safety.

Prior to joining the Institute in 2009, Dr. Jermakian worked for Nissan North America and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She received her doctorate in transportation safety engineering from The George Washington University.

Matt Moore
Senior Vice President, HLDI

Matt Moore is senior vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute, where he oversees HLDI's research program, the collection of vehicle information and the production of loss data. HLDI processes insurance data from companies that represent approximately 85% of the U.S. private passenger auto insurance market.

Matt joined HLDI in 1999 as a programmer. During his 25 years at HLDI, Matt has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility and scope. He is the author of numerous research papers and has led several projects that resulted in studies that were world firsts on topics such as collision avoidance technologies, legal recreational marijuana and antilock braking systems for motorcycles.

Before coming to HLDI, Mr. Moore worked in higher education, conducting institutional research, designing data systems and creating web sites. He holds an M.B.A. and a bachelor's degree from Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania.

Russ Rader
Senior Vice President, Communications, IIHS

Russ Rader is senior vice president for communications at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. He joined the Institute in 2001.

Mr. Rader previously worked as public affairs director for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Raul Arbelaez
Vice President, Vehicle Research Center, IIHS

Raul Arbelaez is vice president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Vehicle Research Center.

Mr. Arbelaez joined the Institute in 1999 as a research engineer. His research interests include occupant injury biomechanics, crash test dummies and vehicle event data recorders. He has been involved in the Institute's frontal crashworthiness evaluation program, real-world crash investigation studies, the development of advanced dummy seating procedures and the Institute's side-impact crash test program.

Mr. Arbelaez received a bachelor's degree from Florida State University and a master's degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

David Aylor
Vice President, Active Safety, IIHS

David Aylor is vice president for active safety testing at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Mr. Aylor has worked at IIHS since 2004 and has been closely involved with all its testing programs. Most recently, he helped develop the evaluation program for front crash prevention systems. His areas of research include rear impact, low-speed damageability, and crash avoidance technology.

Mr. Aylor received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia.

Chuck Farmer
Vice President, Research and Statistical Services, IIHS

Charles M. Farmer is vice president for research and statistical services at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, where he has worked since 1994.

Dr. Farmer has authored studies on many aspects of traffic safety, including the effects of enhanced vehicle technology, regulation and refinement of driver behavior, and roadway design.

Dr. Farmer received a master's degree from Old Dominion University and a doctorate from Iowa State University.

Raul Avelar
Senior Research Transportation Engineer, IIHS

Raul Avelar is a senior research transportation engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Dr. Avelar’s expertise spans highway design, roadway operations, traffic control devices, bicyclist and pedestrian safety, and technical assistance for agencies to implement research results. Prior to joining the Institute in 2023, Dr. Avelar worked for 10 years as a researcher at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, where he worked on multiple transportation research projects for federal and state stakeholders.

Dr. Avelar received a doctorate in civil engineering from Oregon State University and is a licensed professional engineer registered in Texas.

Matthew Brumbelow
Senior Research Engineer, IIHS

Matthew Brumbelow is a senior research engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, where he has worked since 2002.

Most of Mr. Brumbelow's research has focused on how vehicle structure and restraint system performance in laboratory test conditions relates to real-world crash outcomes. His findings have contributed to the development of the IIHS front crash, roof strength and headlight ratings, as well as its evaluations of truck underride guards.

Mr. Brumbelow received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia.

Aimee Cox
Research Scientist, IIHS

Aimee Cox is a research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Ms. Cox joined the Institute in 2020 and conducts research on older drivers and distracted driving.

She received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of South Florida.

Marcy Edwards
Senior Research Engineer, IIHS

Marcy Edwards is a research engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Ms. Edwards joined the Institute in 2000 and is responsible for conducting many of the tests in the Institute's vehicle crashworthiness evaluation program. Her research focuses on occupant protection in the areas of whiplash, far-side impacts and child passenger safety.

Ms. Edwards received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech.

Angela Eichelberger
Senior Research Scientist, IIHS

Angela H. Eichelberger is a senior research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Dr. Eichelberger conducts research primarily in the areas of alcohol- and drug-impaired driving, young drivers and child passenger safety.

Prior to joining IIHS in 2011, Dr. Eichelberger was a research psychologist at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. She received a bachelor's degree from York College of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Laurie Hellinga
Director of Research, HLDI

Laurie Hellinga is the director of research for the Highway Loss Data Institute.

Ms. Hellinga ensures HLDI's research goals are executed by working with HLDI analysts to formulate research questions, identify data needs, interpret the data and write up findings. Since joining HLDI in 2010, Ms. Hellinga has co-authored studies using insurance data on numerous topics, including crash avoidance technologies and animal strikes.

Before coming to HLDI, Ms. Hellinga spent 10 years as a research associate at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. She holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University.

Wen Hu
Senior Research Transportation Engineer, IIHS

Wen Hu is senior research transportation engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Dr. Hu joined the Institute in 2010. She has authored numerous research papers on such topics as automated enforcement, roundabouts, speed limits, speeding and roadside safety.

Dr. Hu received a doctorate in civil engineering from the Pennsylvania State University.

David Kidd
Senior Research Scientist, IIHS

David Kidd is a senior research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Dr. Kidd focuses on identifying data-driven, pragmatic solutions for preventing harm from crashes. His research evaluates both vehicle- and policy-based solutions. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed papers on topics such as seat belt use, distracted driving, advanced driver assistance systems, and driving automation technology.

Dr. Kidd received a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in 2006 and a doctorate from George Mason University in 2011.

Sam Monfort
Senior Statistician, IIHS

Sam Monfort is a statistician at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Dr. Monfort joined the Institute in 2018 and studies topics related to predicting crash risk. His research has focused on the impact of recreational marijuana legalization, factors that affect pedestrian safety, and how vehicle size and weight affect crash outcomes.

Dr. Monfort received a doctorate in human factors psychology from George Mason University. He earned a master’s degree from Wake Forest University and a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary.

Alexandra Mueller
Senior Research Scientist, IIHS

Alexandra Mueller is a senior research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Dr. Mueller joined the Institute in 2017 and conducts research on the usability and safety of driver assistance technologies and driving automation.

She received a bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Guelph and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Western Ontario. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at McMaster University and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Becky Mueller
Senior Research Engineer, IIHS

Becky Mueller is a senior research engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Ms. Mueller develops new crash tests for IIHS vehicle ratings that reflect unaddressed real-world scenarios in which injuries occur. Her work led to an updated side test and the first passenger-side frontal test in the Institute’s suite of evaluations. Ms. Mueller has also researched injuries of vulnerable road users, advanced crash test dummies and new injury metrics.

Prior to joining IIHS in 2010, Ms. Mueller worked on research projects for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the Transportation Research Center in Ohio. During her graduate studies, she worked at General Motors on frontal crash and pedestrian performance of future vehicles. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree from Purdue University.

Sean O'Malley
Senior Test Coordinator, IIHS

Mr. O'Malley began working at IIHS in 2007, initially performing damageability research and low-speed crash tests. He later became involved in all aspects of crashworthiness evaluations. He went on to head the trailer underride test program, which has succeeded in encouraging trailer manufacturers to voluntarily improve the strength of their rear underride guards.

Prior to joining IIHS, Mr. O'Malley spent 20 years in the testing field in the Detroit area, beginning with Ford Tractor in 1987. He became a test coordinator at EG&G Structural Kinematics (later Defiance Testing), developing numerous test processes for bumpers, airbags, frame rails, door beams and front module systems.

Ian Reagan
Senior Research Scientist, IIHS

Ian Reagan is a senior research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Since joining the Institute in 2012, Dr. Reagan has conducted research on such topics as crash avoidance technologies and driver distraction. Previously, he worked for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a research psychologist.

Dr. Reagan received a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in psychology from Old Dominion University.

Eric Teoh
Director of Statistical Services, IIHS

Eric Teoh is the director of statistical services at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Since joining the Institute in 2006, Mr. Teoh has conducted numerous studies quantifying the state of highway safety and identifying ways to improve it. His research has focused on motorcycles, young drivers, large trucks and passenger vehicle safety.

Mr. Teoh holds a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he also earned his bachelor's degree.

Kay Wakeman
Director of Insurance Outreach, IIHS-HLDI

Kay Wakeman is currently the director of insurance outreach for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute.

Ms. Wakeman joined HLDI in 2015 as a research analyst, studying collision avoidance technologies such as pedestrian detection and rear crash prevention. She continues to play an active role on HLDI’s research team but now also spends much of her time speaking at industry conferences and promoting research and resources available to member companies.

Prior to joining the Institutes, Ms. Wakeman worked as a geographic information systems specialist and received a bachelor’s degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and a master’s degree in mathematics from Loyola University Chicago.

Rebecca Weast
Research Scientist, IIHS

Rebecca Weast is a research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Dr. Weast joined the Institute in 2016 and conducts research primarily on issues related to teen drivers and drowsy driving.

She received a master’s degree and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Virginia and a bachelor's degree from Franklin and Marshall College.

Joe Young
Director of Media Relations, IIHS

Joe Young is media relations director at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, where he serves as the main point of contact for journalists seeking traffic safety information and oversees the Institute's social media presence.

Mr. Young joined the Institute in 2017 after working in communications with the Louisiana SPCA in New Orleans. Mr. Young received a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and holds an M.B.A. from the University of New Orleans.