Professor Hugh H. Hurt, Jr. is the faculty member at the University of Southern California responsible for the development of the Head Protection Research Laboratory. In addition to research in motorcycle accidents, his research included bicycle accidents, many areas of motor vehicle accident reconstruction, as well as aircraft accident investigation and analysis. His teaching areas included scientific accident investigation methodology, structural safety and failure analysis, aerospace structural analysis, airplane aerodynamics and flight performance. Professor Hurt's publications include airplane and helicopter aerodynamics, structures and failure analysis, reconstruction and analysis of motorcycle accidents, and accident performance of various types of helmets. In addition to his teaching and research at the University of Southern California, Professor Hurt is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of California, and has served as a consultant and expert witness in aviation and motor vehicle law suit cases since the 1950's. His research and teaching experience at the University of Southern California has covered almost fifty years in engineering and safety science. With retirement in 1998, he was confirmed as Emeritus Professor of Safety Science.

Upon retirement from USC in 1998, Professor Hurt moved the entire Head Protection Research Laboratory to a new convenient location with improved facilities, with the assistance of the administration of the university. The new HPRL was reorganized as an IRC 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, public service laboratory, which is exactly equivalent to the previous arrangement at USC. As the founder and president of HPRL, Professor Hurt has been responsible for the development of research, testing and consulting activities of the laboratory and the direction of staff activities in these research projects.

Professor Hurt's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Texas A&M University, a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and National Science Foundation Science Faculty Fellowship at the University of California at Los Angeles.