Experience & Education

Professor and Rogelio Benavides Memorial Chair for Industrial Engineering, 

Texas A&M University – Corpus Christie, 01/2022 – Present 

• Direct labs and initiatives - the Smart Technology Advancement Research (STAR), Safe Occupational Automation Research (SOAR), Systems Engineering & Analytics Management (SEAM), and Signal Authentication & Governance Evaluation (SAGE), spanning industrial and systems safety, big data for healthcare and public safety, robotics and AI, digital twin technologies, and human-technology interface research, supported by multiple federal agencies and industry partners. 

• Develop strategic research directions and laboratories, recruit faculty and researchers, and establish tripartite partnerships to expand Engineering programs. Secure industrial and government sponsors for student capstone projects.

• Serve on College Steering, College Faculty Mentoring, University Promotion Review, and University Faculty Excellence committees, as well as the University Impact Council.

• Coordinate national symposia and contribute to development of national standards on robotics, exoskeletons, digital modeling, and emerging technologies.

• Teach Capstone Design, Project Management, Robotics and Automation, Human-Systems Interface, and Human Factors. Mentor students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty.

Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, 

Texas A&M University – College Station, 12/2023 – Present 

•  Serving as co-chair or member of doctoral student committees.

• Collaborating with other members of the school where expertise is in demand.

• Guest lecturing in Human Factors, Ergonomics, and Industrial Safety courses for graduate and undergraduate students.

Distinguished Consultant and Chief for Protective Technology Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 04/2003-12/2021 

• Credentialed as a national Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research Service (SBRS) Fellow and appointed Distinguished Consultant and Chief by the U.S. Government Executive Resources Board in 2003 in recognition of scientific leadership and program management expertise. Established under the Public Health Service Act in 1990, the SBRS is a prestigious personnel system that recruits and retains the nation's leading biomedical researchers and science administrators. NIOSH is a federal agency that generates knowledge in occupational safety and health, including technology and health informatics, and translates that knowledge into practice and education across all industry sectors, including healthcare, construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, transportation, and others. 

• Administrative Leadership: Supervised section chiefs, team leaders, scientists, staff, visiting professors, and students in conducting research and developing best-practice guidelines for industrial efficiency, the future of work, workplace safety, and human health. Chaired committees to define strategic goals and action plans for national research agendas. Provided advisory consultations to industry and academia on human-centered technology and health protection across all engineering fields. Developed budgets, secured funding, and managed program resources.

• Budget Management: Oversaw research ventures exceeding $100M and cultivated stakeholder partnerships that leveraged in-kind support.

• Scientific Committees: Served on national scientific and invention review committees for more than 50 organizations, including editorial boards for nine journals, chairing international conferences, and refereeing international innovation competitions. 

• Laboratory Management: Directed eight state-of-the-art labs, including Virtual Reality, High Bay, Digital Modeling, Anthropometry Research, Human Factors, Vehicle Safety, Sensor Design, and Robotics Labs.

Coordinator, Center for Occupational Robotics Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 09/2017-12/2021 

• Inaugural Coordinator: Served as the first Coordinator for the CDC NIOSH Robotics Center, providing scientific leadership to guide the development and application of robots to enhance industrial efficiency and worker safety, health, and well-being across healthcare, manufacturing, mining, construction, agriculture, warehousing, and other sectors.

• Strategic Oversight: Coordinated strategic goal planning, human resources, lab expansion, budget management, research activities, and participation in standards committees.

• Community Engagement: Hosted Robotics Interest Forums to foster a collaborative community among staff and partners interested in robotics, including caged robots, collaborative robots, drones, autonomous equipment, mobile robots, care robots, exoskeletons, and AI and Large Language Model technologies.

• Partnership Development: Established collaborations with the Robotics Industries Association (RIA), NIST, NSF, OSHA, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and academic institutions.

• Research Planning: Developed NIOSH research plans and identified 20 priority topics for the National Robotics Initiatives 2.0 and 3.0 (with NSF, DOD, NASA, NIH, & FDA) to advance robotics research for health protection, industrial safety, and human well-being.

Adjunct Professor, West Virginia University (09/1999-2021) and National Taiwan University, 09/1999-present 

• Delivered lectures and workshops on emerging technologies, big data, engineering statistics, human factors, research methods, incident investigation, and industrial safety.

• Taught and mentored engineering, public health, and occupational medicine students, guiding proposal development and research in industrial technology, big data, informatics, and health protection for both traditional and non-traditional students.

• Served as a member of Master’s and Doctoral examination committees for the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University.

• Chaired the Visiting Committee (advisory board) for the West Virginia University Occupational Safety and Health Program (2011–2013).

• Mentored undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellows through work-learning programs, facilitating partnerships among multiple universities and NIOSH for senior capstone design, graduate research, and postdoctoral projects.

Chief, Protective Technology Branch (PTB), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 10/1996-03/2003 

1. • Administrative Leadership: Managed multiple funding streams for technology research, ensuring compliance with appropriation laws and communicating budget utilization to executives and stakeholders. Set operational and financial directives to drive Branch growth, oversee interagency funds, industrial support, research awards, and congressional appropriations. Led experimentation on adopting technical leaders to replace section chiefs for research management under the White House Executive Partnership initiative.

   • Partnership Development: Established collaborations with over 60 industry and academic stakeholders to advance technology research and transfer. Served as a U.S. Delegate to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) on Personal Equipment Design for Protection Against Falls (1999–2010).

   • Program Development: Initiated a high-tech 3D anthropometry program (1996), a virtual construction safety simulation (1997), and a digital human modeling program for equipment safety (1999). Oversaw research on sensorimotor control, data analytics for safety, and suspension trauma across 30 projects (1997–2003).

Acting Chief (1993-1994) and Chief (1995-1996), Safety Controls Section (SCS), Protective Technology Branch (PTB), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 09/1993-09/1996 

Biomechanical Engineer and Project Lead, Safety Controls Section (SCS), Protective Technology Branch (PTB), NIOSH, 07/1991-08/1993 

Research Assistant, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 09/1985-12/1990

Teaching Assistant, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 08/1984-08/1985

Senior Executive Service class of 2015-2016, U.S. Government (April 2015 - April 2016)

Ph.D. and M.S.E., Industrial and Operations Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.