Research Associate Professor, Behavioral Sciences
Location
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Room 127, 2901 Baxter Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Education
- PhD, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Monash Injury Research Institute, 2013
- Thesis title: Self-Regulatory Driving Practices among Older Adults
- MHSA, Public Health Policy and Administration, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1983
- BA, Sociology, Michigan State University, 1978
Research Interests
Dr. Molnar has over 30 years of experience in conducting research on transportation safety and mobility at UMTRI, where she is a Research Associate Professor. She also holds an adjunct faculty position in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan. She serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Advancing Transportation Leadership and Safety, a University Transportation Center focused on promoting research, education, and technology transfer related to all road users including drivers of passenger vehicles and heavy trucks, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Dr. Molnar’s research has focused primarily on traffic safety and driver behavior. Specific topics of interest include: older driver safety and mobility; the use of vehicle technology to improve driver safety; the travel behavior and safety of vulnerable populations, especially pedestrians and bicyclists;; behavioral effects and safety outcomes associated with advanced vehicle technologies, as well as traffic laws, policies, and programs; adolescent driving behavior; occupant protection; and the prevention of alcohol-impaired driving.
Service
Dr. Molnar serves on the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Workforce Development & Organizational Excellence Committee (AJE15). She previously served as Secretary of the TRB Committee for the Safe Mobility of Older People. At the University of Michigan, she is a member of the College of Engineering Honors and Awards Committee, and UMTRI’s Executive Committee and Strategic Planning Steering Committee.
Awards
- Research Faculty Achievement Award from the University of Michigan Office of Research recognizing research impact on older adult mobility (2020).
- Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Book Award from the Gerontological Society of America for “Perspectives and Strategies for Promoting Safe Transportation Among Older Adults” (2020).
- Designated as Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (2016).
- Special Recognition Award from the Transportation and Aging Interest Group of the Gerontological Society of America (2012).
Key Projects
- Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD)
- Guidelines for Development of Evidence-Based Countermeasures for Risky Driving
Student Engagement
Dr. Molnar serves on the committees of PhD candidates and as a reviewer of international PhD student dissertations. She also regularly supervises undergraduate and graduate students who work on her research projects.
Additional Information
Orchid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9556-1761