Jennifer Ross Speaks at National Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Conference

HumanCentric announces today its participation in the 52nd annual meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES). The meeting is the premier gathering of human factors and ergonomics specialists from around the world. Approximately 1,300 guests are expected to attend the meeting held in New York City, September 22-26, 2008. Jennifer Ross, Human Factors Specialist for HumanCentric, is presenting. In addition, CEO and Chief Technical Officer, Barry Beith, will be named to a three-year leadership position as Awards Committee chair.

Ross is presenting part of her doctoral dissertation on the effects of automation reliability on user automation. She attained her doctorate degree from the University of Central Florida in applied experimental human factors psychology. Ross is a six-year member of HFES and specializes in product design, testing and evaluation.

“Human-computer interaction, the impact of emotion on product design, and human performance in extreme environments are three areas I love," says Ross. “To have the opportunity to present my research to the Society is a major career milestone for me."

In addition to Ross's presentation, Beith is accepting a three-year appointment as the Awards Committee chair for HFES. Annually, HFES accepts nominations for 10 award categories in human factor and ergonomic work including: education, safety, innovation, design and outreach.

Beith is a fellow and past president of HFES where he served on the executive council for nine years. His service to HFES includes: chair of the Communications Sub-council, Standards Institute Sub-council and Technical Advisory Group, editor of the Human Factors Society Bulletin, chair of the Human Factors Society Technical Working Group on Mental Workload, as well as founding member and former president of the Carolina HFES Chapter.

“The Society is the most important organization in the United States for the sharing of research, technology and innovation in the science of ergonomics and human factor technology," says Beith. “I am honored to be involved with recognizing excellence in our discipline."

HumanCentric is a diamond level sustaining member of HFES and is sponsoring the opening plenary session.

About Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES):

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society's mission is to promote the discovery and exchange of knowledge concerning the characteristics of human beings that are applicable to the design of systems and devices of all kinds. The Society furthers serious consideration of knowledge about the assignment of appropriate functions for humans and machines, whether people serve as operators, maintainers, or users in the system. And, it advocates systematic use of such knowledge to achieve compatibility in the design of interactive systems of people, machines, and environments to ensure their effectiveness, safety, and ease of performance.