2011 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award
Radin Zaid Radin Umar is the winner of the 2011 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award. Mr. Radin Umar, a student at Ohio State University, is the second recipient of the Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award. The award is sponsored by the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) and was created in honor of Dieter Jahns, a life-long advocate of the practice of ergonomics and a leader in ergonomics certification. The award was presented to Mr. Radin Umar by Dieter's wife Karel at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 2011 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. The award included an engraved, acrylic award plus a $500 check.
Mr. Radin Umar won the award for his project: “Ergonomic Interventional Design of an Articulated Arm for Echocardiography Application.” He is in his first year of a PhD program in Integrated Systems Engineering and plans to return to his home, Malaysia, upon completion. He stated, “I'm honored to be this year's recipient of the Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award. It inspires me to continue pursuing my passion, which is to apply ergonomics knowledge to the betterment of workplaces. It also motivates me to work harder and increase my competencies in solving real world problems.”
Mr. Radin Umar describes his project as follows:
Echocardiography is a growing field due to the dual trends in longer life expectancy and rising obesity levels. Several publications have reported high prevalence of musculoskeletal issues among cardiac sonographers due risk factors that include prolonged probe pinching, forceful exertions, awkward postures, and prolonged maintenance of static postures. A design of an articulating arm that uses a simple locking mechanism was envisioned to reduce these exposures. A participatory approach involving experienced cardiac sonographers was fully integrated into the design process. A functional prototype was assembled, and pilot tested among cardiac sonographers in a clinic setting. The device was well received and thought to have potential in addressing the previously identified issues. However, several design iterations and more comprehensive evaluations will be needed before the device will be ready for implementation in echocardiography settings.
For the first time this year, Certificates of Appreciation were presented to two runners-up: Mary H. Schaeffer, Northeastern University, for her project on Goal Directed Task Analysis; and Esme Shanley, Loughborough University, for her project on Design of Animal Care Centers.
The Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award is an annual award and is given to the student (or group of students) for an Ergonomics project that demonstrates the major practice areas of ergonomics: analysis, design, and evaluation. The purpose of the award is to advance professionalism in Ergonomics by recognizing educational activities that demonstrate how professional ergonomists serve to make our lives at work and at home healthier, safer, more productive, and more satisfying. The award is open to students (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Ergonomics and Ergonomics-related programs. Students who have completed their graduate degrees within a year of submitting are also eligible.
Interested in learning more or applying for this award? See the complete details.
For the first time this year, Certificates of Appreciation were presented to two runners-up: Mary H. Schaeffer, Northeastern University, for her project on Goal Directed Task Analysis; and Esme Shanley, Loughborough University, for her project on Design of Animal Care Centers.