Michelle Chaka joined Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) earlier this year.  She is working to expand its regional support and create new research opportunities that continue to advance transportation safety.

Prior to coming to VTTI, Mrs. Chaka worked at Ford Motor Company.  During her twenty years at Ford, she held a variety of positions centered on vehicle safety.   Most recently she managed the Automotive Safety Office’s Advance Rulemaking and Strategy department where she led the development and delivery of Ford’s corporate safety strategies and policies.  In this role, she worked with government agencies and other safety organizations to help enhance motor vehicle safety in areas ranging from crashworthiness, cyber security and autonomous vehicles.

Mrs. Chaka started in Ford’s Body Engineering and then spent several years in the Crash Safety department where she led the occupant development for the F-150 and the overall safety attribute for the Fusion.  During her time at Ford, she was fortunate to help deliver major safety initiatives for Ford and the larger safety community.  Some recent examples include the creation of the Auto-ISAC, the Automatic Emergency Braking Memorandum of Understanding and the industry’s Federal Automated Vehicle Policy Safety Assessment Letter template proposal.

She has a Mechanical Engineering degree from Michigan State University and an Automotive Engineering Master’s degree from University of Michigan

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) conducts research to save lives, time, and money and protect the environment. As one of seven premier research institutes created by Virginia Tech to answer national challenges, VTTI is continually advancing transportation through innovation and has impacted public policy on national and international levels.
VTTI has grown from approximately 15 faculty, staff, and students to become the second largest university-level transportation institute in the U.S. with more than 475 employees. VTTI has effected significant change in public policies for driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety and is advancing the design of vehicles and infrastructure to increase safety and reduce environmental impacts.
In all endeavors, the VTTI community is charged with finding solutions to the greatest transportation challenges facing not only the nation but the world. The faculty, staff, and students of VTTI are truly dedicating their lives to saving lives.