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Updated: December 29, 2001
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Contents: HFES Home Overview Newsletter Next Meeting Job Openings Membership Sites of Interest |
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NewsletterUpdated: December 29, 2001 |
| December '01 | Volume 36 Number 6 |
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http://www.erols.com/hfespoc |
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I am not especially in love with the concept of setting specific and noble goals when I start a project, despite what the management manuals and self-help books say. Call it a personality flaw, if you like. I just don’t like doing it. When I took this office, my objective was to work with the Executive Council and try to meet what we think are the needs of the members. That required some reflection and inference. Past Presidents have tried to poll the members to find out what is needed and were not rewarded for their efforts. I found out this fall when I attended the Presidents’ lunch for all the chapter pooh-bahs that this same tactic has been tried in many other chapters with the same result. I came to the realization that we simply need to recognize what this organization is and carry out its purpose in a general corridor, and not concern ourselves with a narrow path with specific and measurable milestones.
The membership has by and large remained constant in number. What that means is that while people drop out, we are attractive enough to bring in new members that must feel that we meet their need, and the main part of the membership sticks with the chapter. Over the past year we have had a number of people attend our meetings for the first time and come back for a second helping. Overall, my assessment is that this chapter is and has been a valuable and viable part of the professional lives of the members of the human factors community in the local area. We have something to offer that is not available elsewhere. We even did a little bit of outreach this year by sponsoring one day of a workshop on human factors. This is a good chapter.
The Executive Council has discussed a number of issues on your behalf to try and enhance the quality of the service that the chapter performs. We have started using a small portion of the treasury to attract speakers. We have an active program to find topics that are timely and attractive. We are trying to steer away from presentations you may have heard before, or might hear again in another forum. The final point is that we are constantly trying to check ourselves to make sure we aren’t just sticking to tradition for its own sake with respect to everything from the meeting place to the format for the meetings.
Whatever success we have achieved over the past year in the tasks we have taken on is due in total to the work and ambition of the members of the Executive Council and the chairs of the standing committees. As President, I have been fortunate. This has been a good bunch of people to work with and every call I made to ask that something be done in a specific area was met with enthusiasm and good cheer. Because of them I can honestly say that it has been a pleasure to serve as President over the past year. Please join me in expressing support for John Ruffner as he takes office. Support him with your presence and your service.
Happy Holidays
Dino Piccione
January 2002 Chapter Meeting:
Date: January 23, 2002
Speaker: Wai-Tat Fu, doctoral candidate at George Mason University
Topic: Internet research recently conducted at XEROX Palo Alto Research Center.
Place: To be determined (check chapter website for details – http://www.erols.com/hfespoc)
February 2002 Chapter Meeting:
Date: February 20, 2002
Speaker: R. John Hansman, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT
Topic: Emerging Human Factors Issues in Aircraft Cockpits, Automobile Cockpits, and Air Traffic Control
Place: To be determined
March 2002 Chapter Meeting:
Date: March 7, 2002
Speaker: Joe Moyer, Federal Highway Administration
Place: Ft. Belvoir Officers’ Club
November Meeting Featured Hal Hendrick on "Ergonomics Around the World"
We were pleased to have Hal Hendrick (member of the Executive Council-at-Large for the national HFES and author of Macroergonomics: An Introduction to Work System Design) as our speaker at the November chapter meeting. The material that Hal covered in his remarks is included in the following article, which he has graciously allowed us to publish in its entirety:
MACROERGONOMICS: A BETTER APPROACH TO WORK SYSTEM DESIGN
Hal W. Hendrick
Hendrick and Associates
Englewood, Colorado
ABSTRACT: The origin and development of macroergonomics as an identifiable sub-discipline of human factors/ergonomics is reviewed. Problems with traditional approaches to work system design and how macroergonomics avoids those problems are described. The concept of macroergonomics, including the underlying empirically developed sociotechnical systems model, is summarized. The relation of macro-to micro-ergonomics, and the synergism that is possible when the two are harmonized and consistent with the organization’s sociotechnical characteristics, is explained.
INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, human factors has focused on the interfaces of the individual operator and his or her work environment. Included have been the design of controls, displays, workspace arrangements, seating, lighting, temperature, noise and vibration limits, protective clothing, operations and maintenance manuals, and job aids such as check lists. These micro-ergonomic applications have significantly improved safety and productivity in a wide range of industries, including transportation, manufacturing, mining, forestry, telecommunications and office work. Since the mid 70’s, it also has been applied progressively to improving software design.
By the late 70’s, many managers were noting that the application of human factors/ergonomics design technology at the micro-ergonomic level had significantly improved health, safety, productivity, and the usability of their products. Still, their work systems were not achieving the levels of safety and productivity that they intuitively knew should be possible. At the same time, ergonomists began to realize that correcting human factors problems at the operator workstation level did not also correct problems with the design of the over-all work system. As a result, during the 1980’s a whole new sub-discipline of human factors evolved that came to be known as macroergonomics.
PROBLEMS WITH TRADITIONAL WORK SYSTEM DESIGN PRACTICES
During the past 20 or so years, I have been involved in assessing more than 200 organizational units. Based on these assessments, I have been able to identify three highly interrelated work system design practices that frequently underlie dysfunctional work system development and modification efforts. These are (1) technology-centered design, (2) a "left-over" approach to function and task allocation, and (3) a failure to consider an organization’s sociotechnical characteristics and integrate them into its work system design (Hendrick, 1995).
Technology-Centered Design
Designers typically try and exploit technology by incorporating it into some form of hardware or software to achieve some desired purpose. If those who must operate or maintain the hardware or software are considered, it usually is in terms of what skills, knowledge, and training will be required. Even these kinds of skills and training considerations often are not thought through well ergonomically. Consequently, the intrinsic motivational aspects of jobs, psychosocial characteristics of the work force, and other related work-system design factors rarely are considered. Yet, paradoxically, these are the very factors that can significantly improve work system effectiveness.
When a technology centered design approach is taken, ergonomics aspects of design typically are not considered until after the equipment or software already is designed. Then the ergonomist may be called in to modify some of the human-system interfaces to reduce the likelihood of human error, eliminate awkward postures, or improve comfort. Even this level of involvement frequently does not occur until testing of the newly designed system reveals serious human-system interface design problems. Because of cost and schedule considerations at this point in the design process, the ergonomist is severely limited in terms of making fundamental changes to improve the work system. Instead, the ergonomist is restricted to making a few "band aid" fixes of specific human-machine, human-environment, or human-software interfaces. Unfortunately, the ultimate outcome is a sub-optimal work system.
A well-known relationship exists between when professional ergonomics input occurs in the design process and the value of that input in terms of system performance: The earlier the input occurs in the design process, the greater and more cost effective is the impact on system effectiveness.
There is another problem with a technology-centered approach when redesigning existing work systems: Employees are not actively involved in the planning and implementation process. The organi-zational change literature frequently has shown that this lack of employee involvement often leads to a poorly designed work system. Equally important, it also can lead to a lack of commitment and, not infrequently, either to overt or passive-aggressive resistance to the changes. From my personal observations, when a technology-centered approach is taken, if employees are brought into the process at all, it is only after the work system changes have been designed. The employee’s role becomes that of doing usability testing of the designed system. As often happens, when employees find serious problems with the changes, cost and schedule considerations prevent any major redesign to eliminate or minimize the identified deficiencies.
Because most of the so-called re-engineering efforts of the early ‘90s used a technology-centered approach, it is not surprising that a large majority of them were unsuccessful. Keidel notes that these efforts failed to address the "soft" (i.e., human) side of engineering and often ignored organizational effects. (Keidel, 1994)
"Left-Over" Approach to Function and Task Allocation
When a technology-centered approach is taken, it often leads to treating the persons who will operate and maintain the system as impersonal components. The focus is on assigning to the "machine" any functions or tasks which its technology will enable it to perform. Then, what is left over is assigned to the people components to perform. Consequently, the function and task allocation process fails to consider the characteristics of the work force and the nature of the relevant external environment. The consequence often is a poorly designed work system that fails to make effective use of its human resources. A good early example of this was the implementation of the longwall coal mining system, cited earlier (Trist and Bamforth, 1951).
As noted earlier, effective work system design requires joint design of the technical and personnel subsystems (DeGreene, 1973). Put in ergonomic terms, joint optimization requires a human-centered approach. With respect to function and task allocation, Bailey (1989) refers to it as a humanized task approach. He notes that "this concept essentially means that the ultimate concern is to design a job that justifies using a person, rather than a job that merely can be done by a human. With this approach, functions are allocated and the resulting tasks are designed to make full use of human skills and to compensate for human limitations. The nature of the work itself should lend itself to internal motivational influences. The left over functions are allocated to computers." (p. 190).
Failure to Consider the System’s Sociotechnical Characteristics
The sociotechnical systems literature identifies four major characteristics or elements of work systems. These are the (1) technological subsystem, (2) personnel subsystem, (3) external environment, and (4) organizational design. The sociotechnical systems literature further documents that these four elements interact with one another, so a change in any one affects the other three (and, if not planned for, often in dysfunctional or unanticipated ways). Consequently, the characteristics of each of the first three elements affect the fourth: The organizational design of the work system. Empirical models have been developed of these relationships that can be used to determine an effective work system structure.
As first was documented by the Tavistock studies over four decades ago (Trist and Bamforth, 1951; Emory and Trist, 1960), a technology centered approach to the organizational design of work systems does not adequately consider the key characteristics of the other three sociotechnical system elements. Not surprisingly, a suboptimal work system design often is the result.
CRITERIA FOR AN EFFECTIVE WORK SYSTEM DESIGN APPROACH
Based on the above, several criteria can be gleaned for selecting an effective work system design approach (Hendrick, 1995).
1. Joint design. The design approach should be human centered. Instead of designing the technological subsystem and requiring the personnel subsystem to conform to it, the approach should require design of the personnel subsystem jointly with the technological subsystem. Further, the approach should allow for extensive employee participation throughout the design process.
2. Humanized task approach. The function
and task allocation process first should consider whether there is a need for a human to perform a given function or task before making the allocation to humans or machines.3. Integrate the organization’s sociotechnical characteristics into the design. The approach should systematically evaluate the organization’s key sociotechnical system characteristics, and then integrate them into the work system’s design.
Macroergonomics is an approach that meets all three of these criteria. Conceptually, macroergonomics is a top-down sociotechnical systems approach to work system design, and the carry-through of the over-all work system design characteristics to the design of human-job, human-machine and human-software interfaces. As will be described later, it is a top-down sociotechnical systems approach in that it begins with an analysis of the relevant sociotechnical system variables and then systematically utilizes these data in designing the work system’s structure and related processes. Macroergonomics is human-centered in that it systematically considers the worker’s professional and psychosocial characteristics in designing the work system; and then carries the work system design’s characteristics through to the ergonomic design of specific jobs and related hardware and software interfaces. Integral to this human-centered design process is joint design of the technical and personnel subsystems, using a humanized task approach in allocating functions and tasks. In addition, a primary methodology of macroergonomics is participatory ergonomics. It is a methodology that involves employees at all organizational levels in the design process. In spite of its young age as a formally identifiable sub-discipline, I believe it is because it does meet these criteria that macroergonomics has enjoyed its considerable successes.
THE SOCIOTECHNICAL SYSTEMS MODEL
The sociotechnical systems model views organizations as open systems engaged in transforming inputs into desired outputs. Organizations bring two major components to bear on the transformation process: Technology in the form of a technical subsystem and people in the form of a personnel subsystem. These two subsystems interact with one another at every human-machine and human-software interface. They thus are interdependent and operate under joint causation, meaning that both subsystems are affected by causal events in the environment.
Joint causation gives rise to a related concept of importance to macroergonomics, joint optimization. Joint optimization means that both subsystems respond jointly to causal events; and optimizing one subsystem and then fitting the other to it will result in sub-optimization of the joint design.
SOCIOTECHNICAL SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS IN WORK SYSTEM DESIGN
As inferred from the above, the design of a work system’s structure and processes involves consideration of the key elements of three major sociotechnical system components: (1) the technological subsystem, (2) the personnel subsystem, and (3) the external environments to which the system must respond to survive and be successful. Each of these three major components has been studied in relation to its effect on the fourth component, work system design, and empirical models have emerged that can be used to optimize an organization’s work system. For example, (a) the more a given technology results in non-routine, as opposed to routine or reoccurring, problems of the same type and (b) the more those problems can not be solved by rational-logical or mathematical decision-making, but instead must rely on the experience, judgment and intuition of the worker, the higher should be the level of professionalism. As the need for greater professionalism (i.e., amount of education, training and experience possessed by the workers) increases, managerial levels (vertical differentiation), reliance on formal rules and procedures (formalization), and centralized tactical decision-making (centralization), all should be decreased. Most importantly, as the external environment on which the organization is dependent for its survival and success becomes either more complex and/or more changing and unpredictable, the higher should be the level of professionalism and the greater the decision discretion of the employees. Given the complexity of most high technology and/or large corporations, these macroergonomics design factors are critical to their survival and success.
RELATION OF MACRO- TO MICRO-ERGONOMIC DESIGN
Through a macroergonomics approach to determining the optimal design of an organization's work system, many of the characteristics of the jobs to be designed into the system, and into related human-machine and human-software interfaces, already have been prescribed. Some examples would include how narrowly or broadly jobs must be designed and how they should be departmentalized. Decisions concerning the level of formalization (i.e., standardized rules, procedures, and detailed job descriptions) and centralization (i.e., the extent to which decisions are made at the top rather than decentralized downward in the organization) will dictate the desired degree of routinization and employee discretion to be ergonomically designed into the jobs, attendant human-machine and human-software interfaces, the level of professionalism, and many of the design requirements for the information, communications and decision support systems. Put simply, effective macroergonomics design drives much of the micro-ergonomic design of the system; and thus insures optimal ergonomic compatibility of the system’s components with its work system design.
MACROERGONOMICS AND SYSTEM THEORY
Macroergonomics has the potential to improve organizations by ensuring that their work system designs harmonize with their critical socio-technical characteristics. A widely accepted view among system scientists is that for all complex systems the whole is more than the simple sum of its parts. Accordingly, when organizations have been effectively designed macroergonomically, and that effort is carried through to the micro-ergonomic design of jobs and related human-machine and human-software interfaces, improvements, such as reducing accidents and injuries by 50% to 90%, or greater, should be possible. There now is empirical support for this expectation. (e.g., see Hendrick, 1997, for summaries of case examples).
References
Bailey, R. W. (1989). Human performance engineering (2nd ed). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
DeGreene, K. (1973). Sociotechnical systems. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Emery, F. E., & Trist, E. L. (1960). Sociotechnical systems. In C. W. Churchman & M. Verhulst (Eds.), Management sciences: Models and Techniques (pp.83-97). Oxford: Pergamon.
Hendrick, H. W. (1995). Future directions in macroergonomics. Ergonomics, 38, 1617-1624.
Hendrick, H. W. (1997) Good ergonomics is good economics. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
Keidel, R. W. (1994). Rethinking organizational design. Academy of Management Executive, 8(4), 12-30.
Trist, E. L., & Bamforth, K. W. (1951). Some social and psychological consequences of the longwall method of coal-getting. Human Relations, 4, 3-38.
Announcing New Website - Charm
I am proud to announce a new web site produced by my Fall 2001 graduate seminar. They have created an educational resource called CHARM – Choosing Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Appropriate Research Methods, http://www.otal.umd.edu/hci-rm/
It contains six articles written by the nine students in the class http://www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall2001/cmsc838s/
I'd appreciate comments on the articles sent to the class listserv which includes me:
cmsc838s-0101-fall01@coursemail.umd.edu
or you can approach individual students about their articles.
Please take a look and if you like what you see, please send my students appreciative comments... or suggestions for improvement. You are welcome to pass this note around to your colleagues too.
Ben Shneiderman
Dept. of Computer Science
University of Maryland College Park
ben@cs.umd.edu
301-405-2680
Lab: www.cs.umd.edu/hcil
Annual Midyear Symposium March 7-8th, 2002
Theme of Symposium:
Contemporary & Emerging Issues in
Human Factors, Engineering and Military Psychology:
Special Applications to the Military and other Federal Agencies
Sponsored by the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division 21, Applied and Engineering Psychology
and Division 19, Military Psychology, and
the Potomac Chapter, Human Factors & Ergonomics Society
Dates / times:
Feature Exhibits Include:
Submission of topics, 200 word abstracts by January 11th, 2002 to:
Gerald P, Krueger, Ph.D., CPE
Email: JerryKrueg@aol.com or Email: gkrueger@thewexfordgroup.com
Phone: (703) 704-1801 or (703) 768-3421
Presentations, Papers, Posters, Expert Panel Discussions are welcomed on human factors research & applications in the following (but not limited to) areas:
Registration information:
| Advance Registration for symposium | On-Site Registration on March 7th |
| (before February 15th ’02): | |
| Day 1 (March 7th) - $25.00 | Day 1 (March 7th) - $30.00 |
| Day 2 (March 8th) - $30.00 | Day 2 (March 8th) - $50.00 |
| Both Days - $50.00 | Both Days - $75.00 |
Students receive 50% off Advance or On-Site registration fees
| Make checks out to: APA Division 21 | For more information contact: |
| And Mail checks to Richard Kelly at: | |
| Richard T. Kelly, Ph.D. | Gerald P. Krueger [Div. 21]: (703) 704-1801 |
| Pacific Science & Engineering Group, Inc. | Jane M. Arabian [Div. 19]: (703) 697-9271 |
| 6310 Greenwich Drive, Suite #200 | Maureen Hunter [Potomac Chapter, HFES]: |
| San Diego, CA 92122 | (202) 493-3384 |
Symposium Housing: For gov’t employees on travel orders, Ft. Belvoir bachelor officers quarters (BOQ) are available (range $44. to $68.) Other suggested housing likely will be at block rates at Holiday Inn Express, Springfield, VA (current gov’t rate there is $99. + tax.)
Directions to the Fort Belvoir, VA Officers' Club:
From Reagan National Airport, drive 11 miles south on Route #1, Richmond Highway.
From Route #1, turn left (East) onto Belvoir Road at the Pence Gate (South Post); stop to obtain visitor's pass. Follow Belvoir Road to 21st Street. Turn left, go 100 yards, turn right onto Belvoir Drive. At the fork in the road, bear left onto Woodlawn Drive to Schultz Circle. The free parking area is to the left of the Officers' Club Building.
"Refining our Craft": the Third Information Architecture Summit
Sponsored by ASIS&T
Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
Baltimore, Maryland
March 15-17, 2002
Copy at http://www.asis.org/Conferences/IA2002/asummit02call.html
The Summit seeks proposals for Case studies; Presentations that demonstrate innovative and effective information architecture practices; and Posters.
Case studies will demonstrate concrete information architecture solutions to challenging problems. Case Studies should address the theme ("Refining our Craft") and provide the audience with specific output to take away. The ideal case studies will place special emphasis on explaining and demonstrating the useful methods, tools, and metrics that were used to address the problem at hand. The guidelines for case study submissions are:
The guidelines for Presentations should follow a similar form but describe:
Complete guidelines for Posters are located at http://www.asis.org/Conferences/IA2002/posters.html. The topic for posters is "clear thinking visualized." How do you use diagramming to understand a problem? To communicate a solution? Now's your chance to trot out your killer deliverables, or scratchy scribbles that make your IA really work. We encourage work by students, developers and designers, work of a specialized nature, work concerning new features, design elements, methods or processes, controversial topics, and work in progress.
The submission deadline is November 30, 2001 for Case Students and Presentations (Editor’s Note – I believe I saw an e-mail extending this deadline, but the Nov. 30 date remains on the conference website). Email your submission to: rhill@asis.org, with the subject line:
[Your last name] Case Study Proposal or
[Your last name] Presentation Proposal
The deadline for Poster proposals will be January 12 and Poster proposals should be sent to:
rhill@asis.org and posters@eleganthack.com, with the subject line:
[Your last name] Poster Proposal
Executive Director
American Society for Information Science and Technology
1320 Fenwick Lane, Suite 510
Silver Spring, MD 20910
FAX: (301) 495-0810
PHONE: (301) 495-0900
http://www.asis.org
The 24th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci2002), will be held August 8 - 10, 2002 (Thursday through Saturday), at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA. (http://www.hfac.gmu.edu/~cogsci/). CogSci2002 is the annual meeting of the premier society for basic and applied cognitive science research. We encourage researchers from across the world to submit their best work and to attend CogSci2002 to hear the latest theories and data from the world's best cognitive science researchers.
Highlights:
This year, Prof. Richard Shiffrin will receive the $100,000 Rumelhart Prize at the conference for his life achievements in quantitative modeling of cognitive phenomena.
Plenary addresses will be given by Prof. Shiffrin (Indiana University); Dr. Stuart Card (Information Sciences and Technologies Laboratory, Xerox PARC), and Prof. David Woods (Cognitive Systems Engineering Laboratory, The Ohio State University). In addition to traditional submissions for Cognitive Science, this year we are experimenting with a new submission category.
Targeted Symposium Topics:
This year we are encouraging submissions based on three topics:
Six-page papers or Publication-Based Submissions on these topics will be packaged together in special Targeted Symposium paper or poster sessions. See website for more details.
Tutorials:
As in prior years, we are encouraging submissions for one-day tutorials to be given the day before CogSci-2002 officially starts; Wednesday August 7th. See: http://acs.ist.psu.edu/cogsci2002/tutorials.html for more information.
Student Volunteers:
We are seeking some support for students from outside of George Mason University to come to CogSci-2002 and work as student volunteers. Interested students should see: http://hfac.gmu.edu/~cogsci/studentvolunteers.html for more information.
Co-Chairs:
Wayne D. Gray & Chris Schunn
cogsci@gmu.edu
http://hfac.gmu.edu/~cogsci/
Human Factors Engineer
Advanced Management Technology Inc.
Arlington, VA
Requirements:
Preferred:
Contact:
| Eric Stringer | 1515 Wilson Blvd | |
| Technical Recruiter | Suite 1100 | |
| Advanced Management Technology Inc. | Arlington, VA 22209 | |
| eric.stringer@amti.com | (703) 841-2262 office | |
| www.amti.com | (703) 841-1443 fax |
Environmental Health & Safety Manager
America Online, Inc
America Online, Inc is seeking applicants for The Environmental Health & Safety Manager. This person will be responsible for the safety and compliance operations for specified AOL offices"
This person will also establish and manage an Ergonomics Program:
For additional information and to apply for this position, please contact:
Internships Opportunities User-Centered Design and Evaluation
U.S. Census Bureau
Suitland, MD
(1 mile outside of Washington, DC on the Green Line)
SUMMER: 10-12 weeks, full-time, June-Aug, 2001.
ACADEMIC YEAR: Sept, 2001-May, 2002; half-time (or more): 640 hours minimum.
Salary: $30,000-$47,600 (full-time, 12 months).
Major benefits: Can include full tuition and book allowance for academic year positions. Outstanding training opportunities available including short courses and ongoing educational seminars. Civil service benefits.
Duties: Train and assist in one or more of the following:
Application Domains: Primarily electronic questionnaires and information web sites.
Qualifications: Must be a U.S. citizen and a full or part-time student in a graduate degree program, preferably in the social or computer sciences.
| Kent Marquis, Ph.D. | or | David Mingay, Ph.D. | |
| 301-457-4719 | 301-457-4971 | ||
| kent.hammond.marquis@census.gov | david.j.mingay@census.gov |
Scientific and Technical Advisor for Human Factors
Federal Aviation Administration
Washington, DC
Vacancy Announcement Number: ASW-AC-01-402-58709
The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking applicants for a senior human factors professional in the Fort Worth, Texas area.
Basic requirements include a degree (advanced degree preferred) in human factors, industrial engineering, behavioral science, or ability to build coalitions and communicate; and (6) In-depth knowledge and expertise in designing, implementing, and managing human factors programs. Applicants must be US citizens.
For vacancy information and application forms, please see the FAA’s World Wide Web site at http://jobs.faa.govor call (202) 267-8012.
Faculty Appointment
Rehabilitation Engineering R&D Lab
National Rehabilitation Hospital
Collaborative and independent research and development on applications of Virtual Reality methods and technologies to rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities. The setting is a rehabilitation engineering R&D lab with clinical goals, a strong interdisciplinary orientation, and active connections with academic departments of biomedical engineering and experimental psychology at the nearby Catholic University of America. The lab is housed in the Rehabilitation Engineering Service at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, a private not-for-profit 130-bed hospital in northwest Washington, DC. Disabilities that are currently the focus of VR research include stroke, autistic spectrum disorder, and cerebral palsy. A faculty appointment and direct involvement with graduate students is likely.
Credentials:
Required: Applicants must have a Ph.D. in a discipline of engineering, computer science or experimental psychology, with strong capabilities in virtual environment development and related programming; demonstrated capability to conceptualize and implement R&D programs independently and to publish results; high level working familiarity with PCs and graphics work stations; particular specialty knowledge in current VR tools and techniques and their application to medical and research problems; excellent written and spoken communication skills; and a professional commitment to applications of engineering to medical challenges, in particular rehabilitation.
Desirable: Experience beyond graduate school; experience with haptics; knowledge of modeling of human oculomotor control and related optics; demonstrated ability to prepare winning research proposals; strong capabilities in analog and digital circuit design; and a demonstrated ability to carry a product design initiative from conceptualization to prototype completion.
User Interface Designer/Web Interaction Specialist
SRA International
Fairfax, Virginia
SRA International has some challenging opportunities for User Interface Designers in its Knowledge Discovery Solutions practice. This practice supports a market and trading analysis system used by NASD Regulation. These positions are located in Fairfax, VA.
Candidates should possess a BS in CS or a related field and at least 5 years of related experience. Position requires:
SRA is a privately held information technology firm that provides systems integration, consulting, and eBusiness and eGovernment services and solutions tailored to government and commercial client needs. We specialize in Internet systems development, systems and software engineering, network integration and management, information security, enterprise systems management, knowledge discovery, and e-mail management systems.
Fortune Magazine recently chose SRA as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" and Business Week has named SRA as one of the leading private information technology companies for the second consecutive year. Founded in 1978, SRA serves clients from its headquarters in Fairfax, VA, and across the United States. Our staff of more than 1,900 talented and dedicated people carry out the company's commitment to high-quality work, honesty and service, and customer satisfaction.
Should you be interested in this opportunity, please forward your resume to Judy_Whipple@sra.com
| Judy L. Whipple | Voice: (540) 972-4229 | |
| Sr. Staffing Consultant | Email: Judy_Whipple@sra.com | |
| SRA International | http://www.sra.com/ |
Consultants (Ergonomics Analyst and Usability Analyst positions)
Evans Incorporated
Vienna, VA
Evans Incorporated is a dynamic, woman-owned consulting firm committed to helping our clients improve their organizations by evolving their business processes, the way they use technology, and their work environments. We specialize in Business Process Improvement, Human Centered IT Solutions and Ergonomics Specialty Services. Our clients include Ford Motor Company, General Motors, the International Monetary Fund, Girl Scouts of America and the Social Security Administration.
Description: Entry- and mid-level ergonomics analysts will aid clients in designing and managing their ergonomics programs using innovative e-business solutions. Usability analysts will work with software engineers to design useful and usable web and PC-based systems. Either position may involve related activities that include re-engineering business processes, facilitating user-oriented design sessions, gathering functional and technical requirements for new program management solutions, serving as a user advocate during the software development cycle, and guiding clients through the implementation of new business processes and software applications.
Basic/Minimum Qualifications: Entry-level positions require a Bachelors degree in a related field and demonstrated experience in the fields of industrial ergonomics and safety, HCI/usability or information design. Mid-level positions require a Bachelors degree and 4 years experience or MA/MS degree and 2 years experience. In addition, they must have excellent analytical and oral communication skills, document writing and editing skills, and outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills. Candidates must be able to work comfortably in cross-functional teams and have good negotiation and problem-solving skills. Candidates should have proficiency with the MS Office suite of software.
Desired Qualifications: Experience in one or more of the following areas: usability testing or interface design and the application of user-centered design theory and methods, design session facilitation, project management, instructional design, technical writing, requirements gathering using a variety of techniques, process and data modeling, and database management.
Salary: Commensurate with experience. Outstanding benefits, including medical, dental and vision care, disability insurance, 401(k) and matching contributions.
When Available: Immediately
Employer's URL: http://www.evansincorporated.com/
How to Apply: Send resume and cover letter to:
| Human Resources | tel. 703-281-1445 | |
| Evans Incorporated | fax. 703-281-1472 | |
| 301 Maple Avenue, West | e-mail: sevans@evansincorporated.com | |
| Suite 602 | ||
| Vienna, Va 22180 |
Senior Functional Analyst - Human Factors
Sverdrup Technology, Inc.
Dumfries, VA
The JE/Sverdrup Engineering Group Inc. is one of the world's largest and most diverse providers of professional technical services. With annual revenues exceeding $3.5 billion, we offer full-spectrum support to industrial, commercial, and government clients across multiple markets. Services include scientific and specialty consulting as well as all aspects of engineering and construction, and operations & maintenance.
The JE/Sverdrup Team is seeking qualified candidates interested in immediate employment! We are currently providing the full range of engineering, analytical, technical, and business services to the Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) Combat Support and Logistics Equipment (CSLE) Directorate at Dumfries/Quantico, VA. All positions will be subject to a U.S. government security investigation and personnel must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Job Requirements:
A BS/BA degree in human factors engineering, industrial engineering, sociology, psychology or similar discipline, plus eight (8) to twelve (12) years of progressive and relevant experience in the field of human factors engineering. This position requires a minimum of eight (8) years experience comprehensively demonstrating an ability to apply human factors engineering practices and procedures in support of DoD procurements. Must have experience in conducting system safety analysis in the development and life cycle of a program. Experience providing expert analysis in converting technical requirements into contractual language is essential. Must be intimately familiar with Mil-Std 1472D and other applicable HFE criteria, i.e., MANPRINT. Government acquisition certifications and acquisition simulation experience is highly desired. Familiarization with modeling and simulation tools, e.g., JACK and Ergo are also desired. Must be familiar with the use of Microsoft Office application
Visit www.sverdrup.com
If you are interested in joining the SverdrupTeam and possess the necessary credentials and experience, email, or fax your resume for confidential consideration to:
Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/D/V). All positions will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and personnel must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Chair, Department of Information Systems
University of Maryland Baltimore County
An Honors University in Maryland
The Department of Information Systems invites applications from experienced leaders/researchers for the position of Chair. The Chair will lead a growing faculty with diverse research interests and backgrounds and promote the Department on and off campus. The Department has 1400 undergraduate and 150 MS and PhD students. A new, innovative online MS is offered via a partnership with Open University.
Faculty research is supported by grants and contracts from both government and industry. UMBC is a Carnegie Doctoral/Research-Extensive University with a strong arts and humanities core and an emphasis on science, engineering, and information technology. The suburban campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, minutes from I-95, the BWI Airport, and Amtrak station.
The IS Department at UMBC currently has seven (of 16) tenure-track faculty whose research covers a wide variety of topics within the HCI area. A chair search is currently underway.
Please send a statement of interest, CV, and names of three referees to:
Review will start on October 15; anticipating appointment on July 1, 2002 or earlier.
Faculty Position in Human-Computer Interaction
Department of Computer Science
The University of Maryland, College Park
The Department of Computer Science is seeking faculty members at all ranks. Truly outstanding candidates in all areas will be considered, but we have one line dedicated to the field of HCI open, and we are especially seeking candidates in the areas of networks, mobile computing, multimedia systems, graphics, Human Computer Interaction, databases, information security, programming languages and software engineering.
Under the University of Maryland Flagship Initiative, candidates with established research programs will be considered for joint appointments between the Department and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, The Department of Electrical Engineering, and the Institute for Systems Research.
Candidates who are interested should send curriculum vitae, research summary, and at least four names of references with (3) emphasizing research and (1) emphasizing teaching to:
At the time they apply, candidates must request their references to send written recommendations. Failure to do so will delay the application process. Beginning January 15, 2002 we will begin the review of candidates to be interviewed and therefore encourage your early application. Additional information about academic and research units at Maryland is available on the World Wide Web. Department of Computer Science, http://www.cs.umd.edu/
Contact:
| Prof. Ben Bederson | Director, Human-Computer Interaction Lab | |
| bederson@cs.umd.edu | Computer Science Department | |
| www.cs.umd.edu/~bederson | 3171 A.V. Williams Building | |
| (301) 405-2764 | University of Maryland | |
| (301) 405-6707 (FAX) | College Park, MD 20742 |
Post Doctoral Researcher
The University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland is seeking a bright and energetic postdoc to work on research in computational linguistics, information retrieval, and related areas. Our laboratory has several cutting-edge projects that explore a wide range of natural language processing issues. Some of our top current interests include:
We offer a friendly working environment with extensive interaction across academic departments and neighboring institutions. To apply, please send a resume and a description of your research interests to:
Denise Best ( denise@cfar.umd.edu ).
UMIACS strongly encourages applications from minorities and women. EOE/AA
There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer.
When asked to define "great" he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"
He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages.
Ballot - POC Election of Officers
It is time to elect new Chapter officers who will start their terms of office in 2002. Please mark your ballot and return it to Jack Laveson at the address below by Friday, January 11, 2002.
Ballot -- HFESPOC
Maureen Hunter – Election Statement
Upon returning to the Washington, DC area this past summer after an absence of a few years, I went to the chapter’s website to renew membership. When I discovered that vacancies still existed for the Presentations and Public Affairs/Corporate Membership Committees, it was an easy decision to volunteer. I have been involved with other chapters throughout the country, some more active than others. In my opinion, the success of an HFES chapter is directly related to four things: 1) annual officer elections, 2) active membership recruitment, 3) regular meetings with a robust presentations program, and 4) keeping membership well informed about activities and events. The HFES POC has a strong infrastructure in all four areas and is easily among the most dynamic chapters in the country. I have enjoyed putting together its presentations program for the 2001-2002 chapter year, and experiencing the interchange with fellow colleagues that the dinner meetings and tours generate. I hope I might be able to contribute in some small way to the chapter’s continued strength and direction, so I am running for the Director-at-Large position.
Doug Griffith -- Election Statement
It was a pleasant surprise to learn that I was being opposed for the position of Director-at-Large. Several years have passed since HFESPOC has had a contested election. I regard this as a good sign for the chapter. I was also pleased to learn that I was being opposed by Maureen Hunter. Maureen belonged to HFESPOC previously during its halcyon days, but then moved away. Upon returning to the area, she promptly rejoined. Moreover, she volunteered to chair two committees, Public Affairs/Corporate Membership and Presentations. Her work as Presentations Chair should be quite evident, and I hope appreciated by all. I have had the privilege of serving on the Executive Council for the past six years in various capacities. I think it is time for new representation on the Executive Council. I urge you to vote for Maureen Hunter.
Ballots can either be mailed (regular or e-mail), or faxed to Jack Laveson by Friday, January 11, 2002:
President
Dino Piccione
Federal Aviation Administration
Phone: (202) 366-0128
email: dino.piccione@faa.gov
President-Elect
John Ruffner
DCS Corporation
Phone: (703) 683-8430 x243
Email: jruffner@dcscorp.com
Past President
Doug Griffith
ERIM
Phone: (703) 803-0100, x4120
email: dkgriffith@erols.com
Secretary
Susan Evans
Evans Incorporated
Phone: (703) 281-1445
email: sevans@evansincorporated.com
Secretary-Elect
Colleen Donovan
Federal Aviation Administration
Phone: 202-267-3313
Email: colleen.donovan@faa.gov
Past Secretary
Cliff Baker
(no longer in the DC area)
Treasurer
Kris Knutson
National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Phone: (301) 435-6624
Email: krisknut@msn.com
Treasurer-Elect
Ben Somberg
Resource Consultants Inc.
Phone: (571) 226-5092
Email: bsomberg@resourceconsultants.com
Past Treasurer
John Ruffner
DCS Corporation
Phone: (703) 683-8430 x243
Email: jruffner@dcscorp.com
Directors-at-Large
Jack Laveson
Integrated Systems Research
Phone: (703) 642-3677
email: j.i.laveson@ieee.org
Ron Hoffman
Federal Highway Administration
Phone: 202-493-3387
email: ronald_b.hoffman@igate.fhwa.dot.gov
Awards
Tyson Rose
IBM
Phone: (301) 240-3237
email:ctrose@us.ibm.com
Membership/Directory
Michael Eidelkind
TRW
Phone: 703-575-0782
email: Michael.Eidelkind@trw.com
Newsletter
Dick Horst
UserWorks, Inc.
Phone: (301) 431-0500
email: dhorst@userworks.com
Student Affairs
Vacant
Phone:
email:
Public Affairs/Corporate Membership
Maureen Hunter
SAIC
Phone: (202) 493-3383
email: maureen.l.hunter@saic.com
Program
Maureen Hunter
SAIC
Phone: (202) 493-3383
email: maureen.l.hunter@saic.com
WebMaster
Jack Laveson
Integrated Systems Research
Phone: (703) 642-3677
email: j.l.laveson@ieee.org
Local Arrangements
Don Weitzman
TRW
Phone: (202) 385-7792
email: don.ctr.weitzman@faa.gov
Recent
Meetings:
February, 2001
Dino Piccione and John Ruffner: "Driving with Night Vision Devices: A (Thin) Link to Air Traffic Control"
March, 2001
D. J. Imbs, "MANPRINT"
April, 2001
Debbie Boehm-Davis and Wayne Gray: "Why Milliseconds Matter: Building Models at the 100 msec Level to Explain Human Performance at the 15 min Level"
September, 2001
Heather Crombie: "UI Design for Online Services"
October, 2001
Tour of the Boeing Joint Strike Fighter Cockpit Simulator
Tour of America Online’s Usability Labs
November, 2001
Hal Hendrick: "Ergonomics Around the World"
