News & Updates

From the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics

News

Professor Farzan Sasangohar

The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) has elected Professor Farzan Sasangohar as its new President. Professor Sasangohar’s vision is to enhance the global impact of human factors and ergonomics (HFE) researchers and practitioners by promoting international outreach and collaboration among professional societies. Professor Sasangohar said “Through meaningful collaborative projects, shared expertise, and inclusive partnerships, FPE will contribute to elevating the role of HFE as a crucial contributor to innovation, safety, and sustainability worldwide."

Orthopedic surgery in India

The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) is pleased to announce the recipients of the FPE Impact Grants for 2025-2026. FPE Impact Grants are intended as seed funding for small (pilot) projects that could potentially lead to more extensive funding opportunities from other sources in the future. The aim is to support professional ergonomics projects around the world that demonstrate the impact that ergonomics can have on productivity, safety, and well-being. A total of ten proposals were received from Ghana, India, Thailand, US, and Vietnam. The selection committee decided to provide funding to two excellent proposals deemed to have the highest potential impact on the practice of ergonomics worldwide.

Atif Ashraf – winner of the 2025 Dieter W. Jahns Student Award.

Congratulations to Atif Mohammed Ashraf, PhD student at Texas A&M University, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, for winning the 2025 Dieter W. Jahns Student Award.  His major professors are Dr. S. Camille Peres and Dr. Farzan Sasangohar.  The award and check will be presented to Atif during the 2025 Aspire Human Factors and Ergonomics Society meeting in Chicago, Illinois.  A second $1,000 check will be sent to Professor Sasangohar.  Atif’s project, “The Skip-Order-Action Framework: An Approach to Documenting and Analyzing Deviations in Petrochemical Facility Procedures” analyzed how the persistent mismatch between prescribed procedures and actual practices in high-risk petrochemical facilities need procedural adaptations to be effective and avoid potential performance errors.

Manufacturing in Malaysia. Photo credit: Creator: Free Malaysia Today | Credit: Free Malaysia Today Copyright: © Free Malaysia Today, 2024

Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) Impact Grants provide seed funding for small (pilot) projects that support the development of professional ergonomics worldwide. The two 2024 projects addressed:

  • Ergonomic Risk Assessment for Musculoskeletal Disorders among Manufacturing Workers in Malaysia and Thailand.
  • Ergonomic Hand Tool for Minimizing Work-related Upper Extremity Symptoms among Cashew Workers in India.

SUNY Buffalo Student Wins Award

Congratulations to Zahra Vahedi, Mohammad Shakiba, and Setareh Kazemi Kheiri, PhD students in Industrial and Systems Engineering, SUNY Buffalo, for winning the 2024 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award.  Their major professor is Dr. Lora Cavuoto.  The award and check will be presented to Zahra, Mohammad, and Setareh during the 2024 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.  A second $1,000 check will be sent to Professor Cavuoto.  The team’s project, “A mathematical approach to model fatigue patterns in dynamic tasks” used a mathematical model with recurrence relations to reflect the residual energy of individuals during a task.

FPE Awards 2023 Impact Grants to Malaysia/Thailand and India

The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) is pleased to announce the recipients of the FPE Impact Grants for 2023-2024. FPE Impact Grants are intended as seed funding for small (pilot) projects that could potentially lead to more extensive
funding opportunities from other sources in the future. The aim is to support professional ergonomics projects around the world that demonstrate the impact that ergonomics can have on productivity, safety, and well-being. A total of twenty proposals
were received from Egypt, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Thailand, UK, US, and Vietnam. The selection committee decided to provide funding to two excellent proposals deemed to have the highest potential impact on the practice of ergonomics
worldwide. 

Guoyang Zhou – winner of the 2023 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award.”

Congratulations to Guoyang Zhou, a PhD student at the School of Industrial Engineering/School of Nursing/Envision Center, Purdue University for winning the 2023 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award. Guoyang’s major professor is Dr. Denny
Yu. The award will be presented to Guoyang during the 2023 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society meeting in Washington, DC. A second $1,000 check was sent to Professor Yu. Guoyang’s project, “Bringing Patient Mannequins to Life: 3D Projection
Enhances Nursing Simulation” used a unique augmented reality (AR) 3D projection approach to improve simulation training outcomes for nurses.

FPE Impact Grant Projects from Thailand and Malaysia Completed

Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) Impact Grants provide seed funding for small (pilot) projects that support the development of professional ergonomics worldwide. The two latest projects address:

  • Certification system and core competencies for professional ergonomists in Thailand.
  • Investigation of the ergonomic risks common to workers in the batik industry in Malaysia.

New Ergonomics Certification Program in Thailand 

With the support of the FPE impact grant program, Dr. Manida Neubert and her team of investigators developed a certification system and core competencies for professional ergonomists in Thailand. This is a particularly timely initiative since Thailand is rapidly incorporating modern technology and automation into its manufacturing processes, and there are no professional standards for those providing human factors and ergonomics (HFE) assistance. Moreover, the coverage of HFE topics in university curricula is uneven. 

Updated Ergonomics Assessment Toolkit

Updated Toolkit now available! The Ergonomics Committee of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has completed updating their Ergonomic Assessment Toolkit with assistance from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) and FPE. The Toolkit is an online guide to 26 free tools which can help practitioners assess the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.  FPE and their International Representatives have been assisting with translating the Toolkit into multiple languages. It is currently being translated into Spanish, Arabic, and Hindi. Mandarin is next!  

View Toolkit

German Students Win Ergonomics Student Award

Congratulations to Sara Wolf and Franzisca Maas, students at the Institute Human-Computer-Media, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany for winning the 2020 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award.  Sara and Franzisca are students of Human-Computer-Interaction.  This marks the third time that students from the Würzburg Institute won the award.  The award will be presented by their mentor, Professor Tobias Grundgeiger, at the Institute in Germany.  The award included $1,000 (US) to Sara and Franzisca, and another $1,000 (US) to Dr. Grundgeiger’s discretionary fund.

Click here for video of award presentation.

Click here for video of the programs at Julius-Maximilians-Universitat.

Carly Warren and David Gafni discussing their award with Dr. Marvin Danoff, Past President of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Congratulations to the Canadian research team: Carly Warren, Abeera Ali, David Gafni, Daipayan Guha, Mayan Murray, and Hendrik Ophardt. They are the winners of the 2017 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award from the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE). The University of Toronto team are graduate students from various programs with a common interest in ergonomics. In addition to the acrylic award, each team member received a check of $200 and a complementary registration, provided by HFES, for the Annual Meeting.

Hyungil Kim with his advisor, Dr. Joseph L. Gabbard in the modified simulator used for the augmented reality display evaluations.

Congratulations to Hyungil Kim, winner of the 2016 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award.  Kim, a PhD student in Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, is the sixth recipient of the award. Kim’s project is titled “Virtual Shadow: Making Cross Traffic Dynamics Visible through Augmented Reality Head Up Display.” The objectives of the project were to (1) design a novel driver interface for cross traffic alerts taking advantage of an augmented reality (AR) head-up display (HUD), (2) prototype design ideas for a specific use-case of pedestrian collision warning, and (3) evaluate usability in consideration of unique aspects of interaction with AR while driving.  The result was an AR pedestrian collision warning interface that is compatible with both the driver’s cognitive process and physical reality of driving.  This work demonstrates the opportunity of incorporating ecological interface design (EID) into AR interfaces.

Left to right: Dr. Tobias Grundgeiger (the students’ advisor), Ann-Kathrin Kraft, Daniel Reinhardt, and Moritz Albert.

Congratulations to the German team of Moritz Albert, Daniel Reinhardt, and Ann-Kathrin Kraft, winners of the 2015 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award. The award was presented at the 2015 HFES Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. In addition to a plaque, the awardees received a cash award of $1,000 provided by a sponsor, and HFES added complimentary registration for the Annual Meeting.

Karen Jahns presenting award to Denny Yu. Dr. Tom Armstrong, Yu's advisor, is also present.

Denny Yu was the winner of the 2014 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award.   Mr. Yu, a PhD student in industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan, is the fifth recipient of the award.  The award was presented to Yu by Dieter’s wife, Karel, at the 2014 HFES Annual Meeting in Chicago. The award included a engraved, acrylic award plus a $500 check and complimentary registration for the Annual Meeting.

Mohd Nasrull Abdol Rahman

Mohd Nasrull Abdol Rahman was the winner of the 2012 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award.  Mr. Abdol Rahman, a PhD student at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), is the third recipient of the Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award.  The award was presented to Mr. Abdol Rahman by Dr. Halimahtun Khalid, President of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society – Malaysia, at the NIOSH Ergonomics Seminar, November 27-28, 2012 in Dewan Sri Johor, Malaysia. The award included an engraved, acrylic award plus a $500 check.

Radin Zaid Radin Umar

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 was presented to Mr. Radin Umar by Dieter's wife Karel at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 2011 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.  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.”

Augusto Espinoza

Augusto Espinosa was the winner of the 2010 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award. Mr. Espinosa, a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, is the first 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.

NIOSH Toolkit Goes International

Ergonomics can truly be collaborative! The Ergonomics Committee of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is in the final stages of updating their Ergonomic Assessment Toolkit with assistance from the NIOSH NORA Musculoskeletal Health Council. The Toolkit is an online guide to 25 free tools which can help practitioners assess the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics and their International Representatives have been assisting with translating the Toolkit into multiple languages. It is currently being translated into Spanish, Arabic, and Hindi. Mandarin is next!  The update and initial translations should be completed soon and will be shared on multiple different websites (AIHA, NIOSH, FPE, etc.) for ease of access for users.

FPE Awards Impact Grants to Thailand and Malaysia

FPE is pleased to announce the winners of the FPE Impact Grants for 2021. FPE Impact Grants aim to provide seed funding for small (pilot) projects that support the development of professional ergonomics worldwide.  A total of eighteen high-quality proposals were received from Columbia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.  The selection committee, comprising Drs. Harvey Cohen, Waldemar Karwowski (Chair), and Dick Kelly, unanimously decided to provide funding to two excellent proposals deemed to have the highest potential impact on the practice of ergonomics worldwide.

3 new Board members: Joe Cohen, Susan Kotowski, Kari Babski-Reeves; Treasurer, Karel Jahns retires; Wei Zhang, Tsinghua University, Beijing, joins International Advisory Committee

Ergonomics in Other Countries and New FPE Projects

The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) is pleased to announce the availability of the FPE Impact Grants that aim to support small projects in the quest of developing professional ergonomics around the world. The funding preference will be given, but not limited to, applicants from the developing countries (as defined by United Nations) or proposals that help develop or grow professional ergonomics in the developing countries.  

Free Webinars

Have you ever had any questions about what it takes to be Certified Human Factors professional?

Listen and watch the recording:  “What is Certification and What’s in it for You”

Presented by:  Dr. Andrew S. Imada, CPE

Ergonomists Without Borders (ErgWB) Comes to the Aid of Ergonomics Students in Puerto Rico

When Hurricane María released its full fury on the island of Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, the power grid was devastated.  Months later, only about 34% of the population had reliable power. Sheree Gibson, the Vice President of the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) contacted her friend and colleague, Professor Lida Orta Anés, an ergonomist who teaches in the School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico, to determine if there was anything that would help the University.

In 2016, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) posed a challenge to students to create a 2-minute video to answer the question, "How does human factors/ergonomics help people?"  The range of applications of human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) research is vast, and these videos capture an aspect of the field’s breadth in a concise yet creative and engaging manner.  The video contest was part of HFES's vision of extending the reach and relevance of HFES and the HF/E discipline

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

Dr. Tom Albin and Dr. Carlos Espejo Guasco at Training Course.

Ergonomists Without Borders committee members Dr. Carlos Espejo Guasco and Dr. Tom Albin presented an applied ergonomics course December 1 – 3, 2015 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The worshop was sponsored by the Administradora de Riesgos Laborales Salud Segura (Administration for Occupational Hazards and Health Insurance), an agency of the Government of the Dominican Republic, and by Sociedad Dominicana de Ergonomía, La Sociedad de Ergonomistas de Mexico and Caribbean, and the International Ergonomics Association.

Colin Drury Wins 2021 Ergonomics Practitioner of the Year

Colin Drury, PhD, CPE ret. is the recipient of the 2021 Ergonomics Practitioner of the Year Award. The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) initiated the annual award to recognize colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the practice of ergonomics through their professional lifetime achievements and/or specific implementation projects.

Brian Peacock Wins 2020 Ergonomics Practitioner of the Year

J. Brian Peacock, PhD, PE, CPE is the recipient of the 2020 Ergonomics Practitioner of the Year Award.  The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) initiated the annual award to recognize colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the practice of ergonomics through their professional lifetime achievements and/or specific implementation projects. 

2017 Ergonomics Practitioner of the Year Award goes to Tom Stewart and Peter Buckle

Tom Stuart, B.Sc., and Peter Buckle, PhD, CErgHF are the recipients for this year’s Ergonomics Practitioner Award.  The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) initiated the annual award to recognize colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the practice of ergonomics through their professional lifetime achievements and/or specific implementation projects.  Both Tom and Peter are Past Presidents of Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors in the United Kingdom.  The award was presented at the Ergonomics and Human Factors 2018 Conference in April in Birmingham, UK.

FPE Board members, Waldemar Karwowski and Harvey Cohen present the Ergonomics Practitioner of the Year Award to Tony Andre and Andy Imada.

For 2016, the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) initiated an annual award to recognize colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the practice of ergonomics through their professional lifetime achievements and/or specific implementation projects.  Recipients for this year are Anthony D. Andre, PhD, CPE and Andrew S. Imada, PhD, CPE for their lifetime achievements in promoting ergonomics professionalism.  Both are Past Presidents of HFES and run their own businesses. The award was presented at a special gathering of HFES colleagues.

Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award Winners

Ergonomics Practitioner of the Year Award Winners

Contact Us

Foundation for Professional Ergonomics
P.O. Box 453
Poway, CA 92074

contact@ergofoundation.org

Who We Are

The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics was established in 2004 as a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing professionalism in ergonomics through educational activities and awards.  Our goals support the goals of BCPE, and we work closely with the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) on various ergonomics practitioner initiatives.  FPE attained an IRS 501(c)(3) status enabling tax-deductible donations from those sharing this dedication to professionalism in ergonomics. 

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