Robert J. Marley, PhD, CPE
Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor – Academic Affairs
Missouri University of Science and Technology   
Rolla, MO, USA
Link

Dr. Robert Marley currently serves as the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the Missouri University of Science and Technology.  In this role he is responsible for all academic units including all degree granting programs, graduate and undergraduate studies, research and sponsored programs, enrollment management, and other key programs and units.

Dr. Marley is an internationally recognized scholar and practitioner in the area of occupational ergonomics.  He is author of over 100 publications with his research impacting the ergonomics, engineering and public safety related disciplines, and has several citations in key Federal compendiums in these areas.  He is an award winning faculty mentor committed to integrating his teaching, research, and outreach.  He has co-authored a widely-used textbook, including a Spanish language edition that is used in a number of engineering schools and continuing education venues world-wide.  Marley has also joined with other colleagues to expand the practice of ergonomics and public safety within developing economies, such as in Mexico and Central America, through extensive lectures and workshops. 

He is a Fellow of the American Council on Education and has also been elected to national office in the American Society for Engineering Education. He also was the 21st President of the International Society for Occupational Ergonomics and Safety and an author of ISOES Mission and Vision. 

Jeffrey Fernandez, PhD, PE, CPE
Managing Principal
JFAssociates, Inc.
Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Link

Title:  Application of Ergonomics:  A Journey from Academia to Consulting

Dr. Jeffrey Fernandez is the Managing Principal at JF Associates, Inc. based in the Washington, DC area.  He has a MS and PhD in Industrial Engineering from Texas Tech University.  Dr. Fernandez is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF), and a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), the International Society of Occupational Ergonomics and Safety (ISOES), and the Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering (SIES).  From 1986-1999, he was a Professor of Industrial Engineering at Wichita State University.  In 2004-2005, he was the President of the ISOES.  From 2010-2016, he was on the board of directors of the Board of Certification of Professional Ergonomics (BCPE) and in 2015-2016, he was President of the BCPE.  He has published more than 200 articles and is co-author of Applied Occupational Ergonomics: A Textbook – Fourth Edition and co-author of Ergonomía Ocupacional: Diseño y Administración del Trabajo. At present, Dr. Fernandez is an adjunct professor at George Mason University.

Andrew S. Merryweather, PhD
Associate Professor & Director: Ergonomics and Safety Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Tel: +1-801-581-8118
Email: a.merryweather@utah.edu

Title: Advancing Human Safety and Ergonomics through Sensing and Simulation.

Dr. Andrew S. Merryweather is director of the Ergonomics and Safety Program at the University of Utah and Associate Professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering and adjunct associate professor in the departments of Family and Preventative Medicine and Physical Therapy and Athletic Training. He teaches and directs research in the areas of biomechanics, human factors, musculoskeletal injury prevention, human modeling and design.

Dr. Merryweather obtained his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah in 2008 as a NIOSH Trainee in Occupational Injury Prevention. Over the past 10 years Dr. Merryweather has managed significant research projects investigating musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace, assistive technologies for persons with disabilities, adaptive technology development, robotics and human-system engineering. A significant amount of his research is related to wearable technology to determine occupational exposures and safe human robot interactions.  To contribute to the body of knowledge in this field, Dr. Merryweather is engaged in team science and has worked with researchers from multiple disciplines including health sciences, school of medicine, college of nursing, computer science, mechanical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, and agricultural systems technology and education. He has received numerous honors & awards and was recognized as an outstanding teacher by the College of Engineering on multiple occasions. Most recently he was awarded along with his colleagues the 2017 IEA/Liberty Mutual Medal for original research titled "Relationships between job organizational factors, biomechanical and psychosocial exposures".

Dr. Merryweather is the advisor for the University of Utah student section of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and serves as webmaster for the Utah Chapter. In 2015, he was awarded Safety Professional of the Year by the Utah Chapter. Dr. Merryweather is also an active member of the American Society of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB).

Sang D. Choi, PhD, CPE, CSP
Professor & Director of the Center for OESH
Department of Occupational & Environmental Safety and Health
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Whitewater, WI, USA
Tel: +1-262-472-1641
Email: ChoiS@uww.edu
Biosketch

Dr. Sang D. Choi, PhD, CSP, CPE is the current President of the International Society for Occupational Ergonomics and Safety (ISOES). He is also Professor and Director of Center for OESH in the Department of Occupational & Environmental Safety & Health at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Dr. Choi also served as adjunct and the visiting professor in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Professor Choi is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar with extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of ergonomics/human factors engineering and industrial safety & health. He is the recipient of the University-Wide Outstanding Research Award and the National Safety Council Research Award. Dr. Choi has produced over 160-refereed publications, and invited multiple times to be as the keynote speaker at prestigious national and international conferences. Professor Choi has been a strong proponent of efforts to integrate/translate the research into practices and is dedicated to bridge the gap between academia and the OESH profession. 

James G. Borchardt, CPE, CSP
Principal/Managing Consultant
Construction Ergonomics LLC
Bettendorf, IA, USA
Email: ConsturctionErgonomicsLLC@gmail.com
Biosketch

Jim Borchardt is the Secretary of the International Society of Occupational Ergonomics and Safety (ISOES).  Jim has 49 years of Safety, Health and Ergonomic (SH&E) experience in the industrial and construction insurance industry.  In 2017 he “retired” and is currently the Principal and Managing Consultant of Construction Ergonomics LLC located in Bettendorf, IA, USA.

Since 2000, he has represented the American Insurance Services Group (AISG/ISO/Verisk) to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A10 Construction Standards Committee serving on five committees: ASSP/ANSI A10-01-2011 (R2017) Construction and Demolition Operations - PreProject & PreTask Safety & Health Planning; ASSP/ANSI A10-40-2007 (2019) Reduction of Musculoskeletal Problems in Construction; ASSP/ANSI A10-46-2013 Hearing Loss Prevention; ASSP/ANSI A10-47-2015 Workzone Safety for Highway Construction  and ASSP/ANSI Technical Report TR A10-100-2019 Prevention through Design (PtD) - A Life Cycle Approach to Safety and Health to the Construction Industry. He is also an acknowledged contributor to ANSI/ASSP Z590-3-2011 (2016) Prevention through Design - Guidelines for Addressing Occupational Hazards and Risks in Design and Redesign Processes. In 2019, Co-authored Chapter 23,"Prevention through Design (PtD) Research to Practice to Research (RtPtR): Sustainable Strategy for Promoting Safety, Health and Ergonomics", ASSP 1st Edition (2019) Leadership in Safety and Professional Development.

Since 2008, he has collaborated with Professor Sang D. Choi, PhD, CSP, CPE from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater “bridging the gap between academia and safety, health & ergonomic practitioners” in an effort to make NIOSH’s goal of “Research to Practice” (RtP) a reality through 30 peer-reviewed scholarly papers and national/international professional development conferences.  His undergraduate studies are in Mathematics and Physics from the Illinois State University and graduate studies in Safety and Ergonomics from Northern Illinois University and Auburn University.

Laura Hintz, MSIE, CPE, OTR
Corporate Safety and Health Manager
Harley-Davidson Motor Corporation
Milwaukee, WI, USA
Tel: +1-414-248-3414
Email: Laura.Hintz@harley-davidson.com

Title: Design for Assembly; Integration of Ergonomics into Harley-Davidson’s M9 Product Development Methodology

Laura Hintz is the Corporate Health and Safety Manager for Harley-Davidson Motor Company headquartered in Milwaukee, WI.  She earned her Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.  She is a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) and a Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR). She is an active mentor with the Board of Certified Professional Ergonomist and a guest presenter at area universities.  As Corporate Health and Safety Manager, she is responsible for developing and maintaining the processes that support Harley-Davidson’s Health and Safety Management System for domestic and international locations.  Laura manages ergonomics processes that drive manufacturing and product design to reduce safety risks within assembly operations.

Dr. Mark Schall, PhD, CPE  
Assistant Professor Auburn University
Auburn, AL, USA
Tel: +1-708-539-8957
Email: mark-schall@auburn.edu
LinkedIn

Title: Advancing Workplace Safety Surveillance with Ambulatory Inertial Sensors: A Research to Practice to Research Study

Mark C. Schall, Jr. is a faculty member at Auburn University where he holds a primary appointment as an Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and a joint appointment in the School of Kinesiology. He earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Iowa in 2010, 2011, and 2014, respectively, where he was a graduate fellow of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Heartland Education and Research Center, the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest (formerly the Total Worker Health Center for Excellence), and the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health. Dr. Schall currently serves as the Deputy Director of the NIOSH-sponsored Deep South Education and Research Center’s Occupational Safety and Ergonomics training program at Auburn.

Dr. Schall’s research focuses on developing, evaluating, and applying innovative technological systems designed to improve the health, well-being, and performance of working people. He has helped secure approximately $5 million of extramural funds through organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control / NIOSH, the Department of Defense, and several industrial partners. He was awarded an Auburn University College of Engineering Research Award for Excellence, Junior Faculty Category, for his scholarly productivity in 2019.

Dr. Richard Wyatt, PhD, PE, CPE, CSP, CQE
Senior Consultant
Aon Casualty Risk Control
Huntsville, AL, USA
Tel: +1-256.851.0811
Email: Richard.wyatt@aon.com   

Title: Ergonomic Justification and Cost Saving Potential:  Financial Justification of Conveyor Installations

Dr. Richard Wyatt is a Senior Consultant within our Casualty Risk Control Practice. Richard’s current responsibilities include developing and executing client-driven solutions that reduce risk and elevate workplace productivity through proven risk control, ergonomics, lean and six sigma tools and techniques. He provides scientific validation on musculoskeletal claims with questionable work-relatedness and testifies in workers compensation cases.  Richard also advises clients in cumulative trauma prevention techniques and engineering interventions to control losses and improve employee productivity.

Richard first began working in the industry in 1981.  Prior to joining Aon, Richard served as a Senior Ergonomics Consultant at The Travelers Insurance Company.  He has also worked as an Industrial Engineer, as well as Process and Quality Engineer for PPG Industries and GTE Products Corporation.  Richard has also been with Aon for 20 years.

Richard holds a Professional Engineering (PE) license in Alabama and North Carolina. He is a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE), a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), and Certified Quality Engineer (CQE).  He has conducted ergonomic training for a variety of customers in retail, manufacturing, leisure, food, and hospitality-related industries.  He has trained ergonomic and continuous-improvement teams in ergonomic principles, and created detailed physical job demand data for use in pre-hire and return-to-work applications.  Richard also has spoken at 29 national and regional Safety, Ergonomic and Industrial Engineering conferences, and has 22 peer-reviewed journal papers and articles.

Richard earned a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from The University of Alabama in Huntsville, a Masters in Engineering from the University of Louisville, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from West Virginia University. 

Mark A. Friend, Ed.D, CSP
Professor and Co-Director of the FAA COE for Technical Training and Human Performance
Program Director and Coordinator of MS in Occupational Safety Management
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Daytona Beach FL 32114
Tel: (386) 226-7747
Email: mark.friend@erau.edu  

Title: Measuring and Evaluation the Safety Management System.

Dr. Mark A. Friend serves as Professor in the School of Graduate Studies in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Florida. Friend is the former dean of the Central Region for the Worldwide Campus and chair of the Applied Aviation Sciences Department at ERAU.  He currently serves as Interim Dean for the School of Graduate Studies and Coordinator and Program Director of the NIOSH-supported--through the University of South Florida Sunshine Education and Research Center (ERC)--Master of Science in Occupational Safety Management (MSOSM) on the Daytona Beach Campus.  He was formerly Professor of Safety and Director of the Center for Applied Technology (CAT) at East Carolina University (ECU).  During his tenure at ECU, he wrote and developed the MS in Occupational Safety for on-campus as well as online delivery. He has also served as Chair of the OSH at Murray State University after holding faculty positions at West Virginia University, Fairmont State College, and Waynesburg College.

Dr. Friend has taught as an adjunct for Tulane University and Washington & Jefferson College.  His text, Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Health, a top-selling book in the field, is in its seventh edition.  Friend recently wrote Planning and Managing the Safety System, a revision of a book by Ted Ferry, who is also listed as co-editor/author.  He has served on the governing board of the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) and is a professional member of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).  Friend has over forty years of experience in higher education.  His work in grants and contracts includes funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the United States Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) through the Chinese Aviation Cooperation Program (ACP), the Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, and numerous other public and private entities.  He has been active as a consultant, speaker, expert witness, and trainer in the field of safety. 

Dr. Friend also served as a commissioner and team leader of site visits for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and site visitor for the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI).  Friend organized and served as the first president of the National Occupational Safety and Health Educators Association (NOSHEA) which later became the Academics Specialty Practice of ASSE. He has received the PPG Safety Educator of the Year Award, the Charles V. Culbertson Outstanding Service Award, and the Academics Practice Specialty Safety Professional of the Year Award from ASSE.  He has also been given The West Virginia University/National Safety Management Society Achievement Award.

Rammohan V. Maikala, PhD  
Project Manager - Injury Prevention and Ergonomics
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, WA, USA
Email: Rammohan.Maikala@providence.org

Title: Safe Patient Handling - Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice.

Dr. Rammohan V. Maikala is a Project Manager, Injury Prevention and Ergonomics at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington. Before his arrival at Providence Regional Medical Center in October 2014, Dr. Maikala was a Research Scientist for 12.9 years at the Center for Physical Ergonomics, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in Hopkinton, MA.

Ram is the Editor-in-Chief of Ergonomics in Design; a quarterly peer-reviewed periodical of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and an Editor for International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. Ram is the immediate past president of Puget Sound Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and the past president of The International Society for Occupational Ergonomics & Safety.

Ram has a Doctoral degree in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, Masters in Industrial Engineering with special emphasis on Ergonomics and Safety Engineering from West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, and Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Osmania University, India.