Ron Burton & Avery Caughenbaugh, Transportation Research Center

The Ohio State University

Ron Burton is executive vice president of the Transportation Research Center, the largest independent vehicle test facility, research and development, and proving grounds in the U.S. A 32-year veteran, Ron has program management oversight in injury biomechanics, vehicle crash worthiness and biomechanics, advanced crash-avoidance technology, and human factors programs. Ron has been a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers since 1998 and has chaired SAE task groups in active safety and dummy testing and evaluation. He is a key contributor to the design and development of TRC’s 540-acre Smart Mobility Advanced Research and Test Center, or SMARTCenter. Ron received a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration from Wright State University. Avery Caughenbaugh has been TRC’s marketing specialist since 2017. Her responsibilities are in customer service, social media, public relations, events and conferences, and facility tours. She began her career at TRC as a Durability Test Driver before she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications at Ohio State.