Carolyn Sommerich Named President of HFES for 2022-2023

WASHINGTON - Dec. 14, 2022 - PRLog -- The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) has named Carolyn Sommerich, Ph.D., CPE, FHFES of The Ohio State University as the organization's president for the one-year term through October 2023. She will apply her knowledge and capabilities as an expert in human factors, ergonomics and safety in her new role. HFES advances the science and practice of designing systems, products, tools, and environments of all kinds for people through knowledge exchange, collaboration and advocacy.

"I am very enthusiastic and extremely proud to serve this great organization," Dr. Sommerich said. "I look forward to engaging and working with our members to increase the opportunities, education and applications of human factors and ergonomics throughout the nation and around the world. Human factors touches nearly every aspect of our lives. As we move forward into the future, whether we are talking space travel and artificial intelligence or job-site safety and residential architecture, it will be more important than ever to ensure that all aspects of the human user are considered from the very beginning. This means applying appropriate, scientifically derived principles of design and engineering that align with not only how people's bodies move and function but also with how people think, feel, react and interact with the world around them. The future is bright for those in this field, and I am grateful and excited to help drive the space forward."

Dr. Sommerich is an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering (ISE) at The Ohio State University and holds graduate faculty status in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences within OSU's College of Medicine. She is the director of the OSU Engineering Laboratory for Human Factors/Ergonomics/Safety. Her research focus is human factors, ergonomics, and occupational biomechanics, with a special interest in intervention research to reduce exposures to risk factors for musculoskeletal discomfort and disorders; her research approach is participatory and interdisciplinary.  She and faculty and student collaborators from Orthopedics, Design, Radiologic Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, and Nursing, have effectively partnered with imaging technologists, home health aides, paramedics, teachers, high school students, distribution center workers, manufacturing workers, and many others to investigate and address risk factors that affect their musculoskeletal health, task performance capabilities, and quality of work life. Her university service includes chairing the ISE Undergraduate Studies Committee and serving on the College of Engineering's Honors Committee and the University Graduate School Graduate Council. She has authored/co-authored 94 peer-reviewed journal articles, 12 book chapters, and 85 peer-reviewed conference proceedings. Her research has been funded through federal, state, and industry grants. She is the program director of OSU's NIOSH-sponsored Training Grant Program and has been the primary advisor or co-advisor to eight Ph.D. students and 36 MS students.

Dr. Sommerich has been involved in HFES since graduate school (IETG newsletter editor). She was active in the North Carolina local chapter in the late 1990s and served as an advisor to the NC State University student chapter. Her leadership roles at the national level of HFES include chairing the Professional Standards Committee, the Education Technical Group, and the Education Division. She was elected to the Executive Council as a Member-at-Large (2002-2005) and as Secretary-Treasurer-Elect (2016-2019), the latter service also involved serving on the Budget and Finance Committee. She represented the HFES Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Executive Council meetings and was active in supporting and drafting a strategic goal for HFES that specifically addresses diversity and inclusion.  She has been a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for several years, and chair from 2019-2021. She has reviewed manuscripts for the HFES flagship journal, Human Factors, for many years, and is currently an Associate Editor of the journal. She was elected to serve as HFES President-Elect in 2021 and currently serves as President (Oct. 2022-Oct. 2023).

About Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES):

Founded in 1957, HFES is the world's largest scientific association for human factors/ergonomics professionals. HFES serves the needs of members and the public by promoting and advancing the discovery and exchange of knowledge concerning the characteristics of human beings that are applicable to the design of systems, products, tools, and environments of all kinds. The society's more than 3,000 members work in educational institutions, companies, government and military research centers, and independent consultancies in 58 countries. For more information, please visit https://www.hfes.org/.