Panel Members
Asher Balkin
Research Engineer
Cognitive Systems Engineering Laboratory
The Ohio State University
balkin.4@osu.edu
Asher Balkin is an interdisciplinary researcher who has worked in fields as diverse as public health, international security, surgical research, and human/automation interaction.
Christine Jefferies MSN, RN, CNL
PhD Candidate
Cognitive Systems Engineering Laboratory
The Ohio State University
Jefferies.32@osu.edu
Christine Jefferies became involved in modern applications of safety science during her career as an ICU and surgical nurse. Having earned her MSN with a focus in Clinical Nurse Leadership from the University of Virginia, she is currently pursuing a PhD in Cognitive Systems Engineering at Ohio State with Dr. Mike Rayo. Christine has conducted research in Safety-II, resilience engineering, and human-machine teaming in various domains including healthcare, commercial aviation, and defense infrastructure. Her current work is focused on developing proactive and anticipatory safety monitoring strategies that integrate cognitive interviewing and data analytics.
Dr. Shannon Morrison
Lecturer
Center for Aviation Studies
The Ohio State University
Krening.2@osu.edu
Shannon McLoughlin Morrison, Ph.D. is the Assistant Director, Academics and Program Assessment for the Center for Aviation Studies. In this role, Dr. Morrison maintains the Center’s academic accreditation through the Aviation Accreditation Board, International. Dr. Morrison also manages all curricular changes and program assessments that occur within the Center.
Dr. Morrison acts as the Center’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, she has brought guest speakers like Captain Barrington Irving to campus, and created the first of its kind conference the Global Conference on Diversity in Aviation, Aerospace, and STEM. She also conducts research on how to bring more underrepresented students into STEM fields. Her educational background includes Master’s degrees in Education, Public Policy, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, along with a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership. In her personal life, Shannon is an avid runner and has been bitten by the travel bug. She has run a race on three continents and four countries as well as eight different states. Dr. Morrison has two cats, Burgess and Buffy, a rabbit named Beatrix, and her husband Nick, a pilot, is a graduate of the aviation program at Ohio State.
Dr. Michael Rayo
Associate Professor
Cognitive Systems Engineering Laboratory
Department of Integrated Systems Engineering
The Ohio State University
rayo.3@osu.edu
Dr. Michael Rayo’s research focuses on how the design of cognitive tools influence multi-agent teaming architectures that contribute to adaptive and maladaptive system behaviors. His work in how alarm design and management, visual analytics, computerized decision support, and interpersonal communication foster system resilience has been funded by the National Patient Safety Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Office of Naval Research, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. He has published numerous papers on patient safety and human factors engineering, and serves on multiple patient safety committees and advisory groups.
Dr. Carolyn Sommerich (Moderator)
Professor & HFES President
Department of Integrated Systems Engineering
Engineering Laboratory for Human Factors/Ergonomics/Safety
The Ohio State University
sommerich.1@osu.edu
Dr. Carolyn Sommerich is a Professor in the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering at The Ohio State University. She also holds graduate faculty status in OSU’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences within OSU’s College of Medicine, and is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and currently serving as the President of HFES. Dr. Sommerich is the director of the OSU Engineering Laboratory for Human Factors/Ergonomics/Safety, and is also the Director of OSU’s NIOSH-sponsored Training Project Grant in Occupational Safety and Ergonomics.
Her research focus is ergonomics and occupational biomechanics, with a special interest in intervention research to reduce exposures to risk factors for musculoskeletal discomfort and disorders; application sectors include healthcare, industry, and education. My research approach is participatory and interdisciplinary. To learn more about my research, the courses I teach, and more please visit my webpage.