Who we are?

Active Safety Engineering LLC is an automotive safety consulting services company co-founded by Mr. Michael W. Monk M.S. (Mech.Eng.), P.E., former Director of NHTSA’s Vehicle Research and Test Center in East Liberty, Ohio, and Dr. Joseph N. Kanianthra Ph.D. (Mech.Eng.), former Associate Administrator of Vehicle Safety Research of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C. They have a combined experience of over 65 years in safety research, U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, compliance test procedures, interpretation of vehicle crash data and potential of advanced safety technologies for vehicles.

Our mission is to assist automotive industries - including auto manufacturers and suppliers, safety experts, consumers, and other safety organizations in their ability to interpret crash information, safety performance of technologies in improving crash safety by avoiding crashes, in reducing crash severities and in protecting occupants when crashes happen. We will provide technical advice for safety performance enhancement, on safety testing and data acquisition, and also provide detailed information regarding existing and future safety standards.  We will also offer short courses on safety standards and benefit analysis procedures for automotive industries and others.

ACTIVE SAFETY ENGINEERING LLC
An Automobile Safety Engineering Technical Consulting Services Company

Joseph N. Kanianthra Ph.D.  President
Michael W. Monk P.E.  President
Both were Senior Executive Researchers of  the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation

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Joseph N. Kanianthra Ph.D. (Mech.Eng.) President 20763 Crescent Pointe Place Ashburn, VA 20147 Telephone: 703 729 7548 Mobile Phone: 571 839 0829

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1995-2008
Former Associate Administrator, Office of Vehicle Safety Research (Retired), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT), Senior Executive Service Office Director, NHTSA, US DOT. 
Initially, as an Office Director and subsequently as the Associate Administrator, he was responsible for all of vehicle safety research related to crashworthiness, crash avoidance, driver-vehicle performance, tire research, driver distraction research and intelligent technologies research programs in the agency for many years. Past research activities included crash reconstruction, crash avoidance, and crashworthiness research, and advanced safety technologies research.  In the early days of safety research, he was involved in the agency’s Research Safety Vehicle Program in the mid 70’s in the development, test, and evaluation of the Research Safety Vehicles and safety countermeasures. He also served until August 2008, as the Chairman of the International Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Government Focal Points (ESV GFP), a group representing senior safety research program managers from various countries in Europe, Canada, the United States, Japan and Korea.

1990-1995
Division Chief, Office of Safety Standards, NHTSA, US DOT

1976-1990
Research Engineer, NHTSA, US DOT
His chief accomplishments in research and in safety standards development are the safety standards for dynamic side impact protection, roof crush injury prevention, ejection mitigation, head injury protection and frontal impact protection of occupants in light passenger vehicles.  He was also involved in the area of international harmonization of research and safety standards.  He represented NHTSA as a member of the group of experts of the U.N. ECE vehicle safety standards development group in Geneva for several years.

1965-1976
Lecturer/Assistant Professor, College of Engineering, University of Tennessee

EDUCATION

1975    Ph.D.  Mechanical Engineering
1965    M.S.   Engineering


HONORS & AWARDS

2008 Award of Merit, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine
2008 Pathfinder Award, Automotive Occupant Restraint Council
2001 Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award
1995, 1998, 2000 US DOT Secretary’s Awards
1998 SAE’s Best Technical Paper Awards
1996 U.S. DOT Special Award of Technological Achievement for U.S. Patent # 5564535
1986, 1990, 1994 NHTSA’s Superior Achievement Awards
15 Outstanding Performance Ratings in NHTSA
Several Outstanding Speaker Awards of Recognition at SAE, and other Forums and International Conferences
Over 50 Technical Papers Published

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Michael W. Monk, P.E. President 17727 Timber Lane Marysville, OH  43040 Telephone: 937 644 0402 Mobile Phone: 937-594-2501

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1995-2008
Director of NHTSA’s Vehicle Research and Test Center, U.S. DOT.  Managed a workforce of 120 federal and contractor employees, with an annual budget of $15-18 million.  Oversight of research programs, facilities and equipment. Conducted research in biomechanics, crashworthiness and crash avoidance fields.  Conducted defect investigations to support agency recall activities.  Responsible for research, reports, presentations, and findings of VRTC.

1979-1992
Various positions within VRTC starting with Senior Project Engineer and ending with Deputy Director.  Responsible for crashworthiness research activities, defect investigations, pedestrian research etc
1973-1978:  Safety Standards Engineer, Office of Rulemaking, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. DOT, Washington D.C.  Responsible for early stages of Side Impact and rollover Safety
 
EDUCATION
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Brigham Young University
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, BYU
 
Various continuing education courses in executive development, science and public policy, management, and technical skill development.
 
HONORS & RECOGNITIONS
DOT Superior Achievement Award for development of Inertial Parameter
Measurement Device, Patent No. 5,177,998
NHTSA Special Achievement Award for contributions to Side Impact Regulation
Outstanding Performance Awards, NHTSA

Over 40 technical papers published

 
OTHER INTERESTS
Engineering mentor for Marysville High School
Assistant scoutmaster, Eagle scout, BSA; Soccer, basketball coach for YMCA
Member of Charter Review Committee, City of Marysville
Past president of Marysville HS volleyball boosters
Enjoy most indoor and outdoor sports