PAST 38 BY 38 RECIPIENTS
Becky Mueller
"Leveraging Purdue University's strong industry ties, I secured a pivotal internship at General Motors, marking my entry into automotive safety. A chance meeting with a GM engineering manager at a Herrick Laboratory networking event led to this opportunity. The subsequent vehicle safety internship equipped me with vital knowledge in injury biomechanics, propelling my career at IIHS where I develop life-saving crash tests. Purdue's specialized courses and research in injury biomechanics were instrumental in my rapid career progression, enabling me to excel in independent research and contribute significantly to the field."
Becky Mueller | Mechanical Engineering
Senior Research Engineer, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
At the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Becky Mueller rose to senior research engineer - IIHS' highest
designation - within five years. She develops new crash tests for the organization's widely consulted vehicle safety
ratings. She led the development of the passenger-side small overlap test, spotlighting an area where some automakers
were cutting corners by failing to supply front-seat passengers with the same level of protection as drivers. Her
leadership on the project was recognized by the International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury with the
Gundolf Beier Award.
More recently, she led the team who modified the side impact test with a heavier hitting barrier that strikes the side
of the test vehicle. Working under a one-year timeframe instead of the customary two to three, she took the
unprecedented step of leveraging the expertise of seven different automakers as active contributors and completed the
design in 10 months. Between these two new consumer safety ratings, it is estimated that 9,300 lives will be saved
annually.
Mueller is a frequent IIHS spokesperson, resource, and expert for media outlets. She has given several national and
international news interviews, is frequently cited in automotive print pieces, and this year was featured in an episode
of "Be Smart" on PBS. She shares her work at international scientific conferences and in peer-reviewed technical papers,
uses her position to inspire young women to pursue STEM careers, and mentors prospective engineering students. She holds
leadership positions with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and earlier this year, received the SAE
International Technical and Leadership Excellence Award.