Experience & Education

Professor and Rogelio Benavides Memorial Chair for Industrial Engineering, 

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

• Direct the Smart Technology Advancement Research (STAR) and Safe Occupational Automation Research (SOAR) initiatives, covering industrial & systems safety, big data for healthcare and public safety, robotics, digital twin, and human-technology interface research, with grants and contracts from multiple federal agencies and industry partners.

• Develop strategic research direction and laboratories, recruit faculty and researchers, and ascertain triparty partnerships for the expansion of Industrial Engineering programs. Recruit industrial and government sponsors for student capstone projects.

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

• Involve in interdisciplinary STEM education in the region, where I mentor many first-generation graduates and college students and provide guidance on career planning.

• Serve on college’s think tank dedicated to effectively implementing national STEM agendas across various socioeconomic levels. Conduct ABET accreditation planning and review, resulting in successful outcomes for our programs.

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

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

• Perform research on protective equipment (such as fall arrest harness, body armor, and exoskeleton) fit and accommodation across diverse occupations and populations.

• Elected as a Fellow of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) in 2023, a distinguished honor within a network of 57 federated international professional societies.

• PI for contracts supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health focusing on sizing protective gear and vehicle design for law enforcement officers. (2 years)

• PI for a grant on digital twin for transportation and community safety, sponsored by the Department of Transportation. (3 years)

• Co-PI for a grant on firefighter glove sizing research using machine learning - collaboration with two universities (PI for subaward), funded by the Department of Homeland Security. (3 Years)

• Co-PI for an industrial grant on preferred temperature of heated seat for driver thermal comfort and a grant on body dimensions of Hispanic youths. (2 and 2 years)

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 

Excepted Service Appointment - analogous to Senior Executive Service and Associate Dean ranks. 

• Credentialed as a national Senior Biomedical Research Service Fellow (SBRS) and was named Distinguished Consultant and Chief by the Government Executive Resources Board in 2003 for his scientific and program management stature. The SBRS fellowship was established under the national Public Health Service Act as an eminent position to recruit or retain scientific and management talents.  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is a federal agency that develops new knowledge in the field of industrial technology and human health and works to transfer that knowledge into design, practice, and education, covering all industrial sectors including healthcare, construction, transportation, manufacturing, and others. NIOSH employs 1,100 scientists from diverse fields including engineering, health sciences, epidemiology, and medicine.

• Administrative Duties: Supervised section chiefs, team leads, staff, and students to conduct research and develop best practice guidelines for industrial efficiency, future of work, workplace safety, system security, and human health. Led committees in establishing vision, strategic goals, and decisive action plans for national research agendas. Provided advisory consultations to industrial entities and academia on human-centered technology and health protection research in all fields of engineering. Developed financial plans, cultivated grants, leveraged diversity, and managed conflicts and team building for programs. Led or contributed to strategic goal development for seven national program portfolios that set priority areas for intramural and extramural grant competitions.

• Industrial Partnership: Upheld on average 30 letters of agreement annually with industrial partners to facilitate external awareness and technology transfer. Provided customer service on industrial safety worldwide, including Brazil, Korea, and Japan, among others.

• Financial Management: (1) Secured more than $100M worth of research ventures. (2) Led development of lab infrastructure and research enhancement; acquired on average $4M annual operation expenditures. (3) Established partnerships with stakeholders to leverage funding resources with an average of $1M/year worth of in-kind support.

• Scientific Committees: Served on national scientific and invention review committees for more than 50 entities, including serving as an editorial board member for eight scientific journals, chair for international conferences, and referee for problem solving competitions. 

• International Keynotes: Delivered invited keynotes on technology development, technical credibility, and strategic planning at numerous international communities, including Japan (2017), Brazil (2014), United Kingdom (2011), Korea (2010), among 20 keynotes.

• Lab Management: Managed 8 state-of-the-art labs - Virtual Reality, High Bay, Digital Modeling, Anthropometry, Human Factors, Vehicle Safety, Sensor Development, and Robotics Labs.

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

{The NIOSH Robotics Center is a virtual center with 25 steering committee members and 70 project officers and participants from eight NIOSH campuses, linked by shared technology networks.} 

• Served as the Inaugural Coordinator for the Robotics Center. The Center provides scientific leadership to guide the development and use of robots that advance industrial efficiency and enhance worker safety, health, and well-being. The application domains include manufacturing, healthcare, oil and gas, aviation, construction, mining, warehousing, wholesale, and others.

• Coordinated Center strategic goal planning, lab expansion, research activities, standard committee participation, human capital management, and seminars for program resilience. Hosted Robotics Interest Forums to build community for NIOSH staff and partners who are interested in robotics - including caged robots, mobile robots, collaborative robots, drones, autonomous equipment, exoskeletons, and robots using artificial intelligence.

• Established partnerships with the Robotics Industries Association, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and academia.

• Developed NIOSH research plans and identified 20 priority topics as a political savvy leader for the National Robotics Initiatives 2.0 and 3.0 (along with NSF, DOD, NASA, NIH, & FDA) to support national research on robotics for industrial safety and human well-being.

• Established the NIOSH Robotics Lab with a series of collaborative and mobile robots and a Virtual Reality Lab for human-robot interface simulations with 13 on-going projects.

• Served as a technical advisory board member for the University of Wisconsin on Leadership Initiative on Effective Human-Robot Teaming; coordinated partnerships with North Carolina State University, University of Florida, and West Virginia University for robotics education and research; served as a technical advisory board member for the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute (ARM) on technical strategy development, technology roadmap, and industrial safety.

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

• Delivered lectures and workshops on human factors and technology, research methods, big data and engineering statistics, incident investigation, and industrial and healthcare safety.  Taught and guided engineering, public health, and occupational medicine students in developing proposals and conducting research on industrial technology, technology management, and health protection for both traditional and nontraditional students. 

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

• Served as the Visiting Committee (advisory board) Chair for the West Virginia University Occupational Safety and Health Program (2011-2013).

• Served as a technical advisor for the U.S. Association of Schools of Public Health fellowships (1996-2010) and an academic program reviewer for Tsing Hua University and National Taiwan University (2004-2007).

• Developed and mentored undergraduate and graduate students through flexible work-learning programs and facilitated partnerships among multiple universities and NIOSH for senior design and graduate research projects.

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

Management Position - analogous to Professor and Department Chair ranks  

1. • Administrative Accomplishments: Managed multiple funding lines for technology research and assured compliance with appropriation laws. Communicated with executives and stakeholders on budget accountability. Set operational and financial directives for growth of the Branch; the budgets included interagency funds, industrial supports, research awards, and congressional appropriations. Led experimentation and impact assessment on feasibility of “adopting technical leaders to supplant section chiefs” for research management, in responding to the White House Executive Partnership initiative.

   • Program Development: Developed high-tech 3-dimensional anthropometry research program in 1996, virtual simulation for construction safety program in 1997, and digital human modeling program in 1999 for equipment safety. Oversaw research on Balance Control at Elevated Workplaces, Suspension Tolerance in Men and Women Wearing Safety Harness, and Influence of Visual Cues on Work at Heights, among 30 projects in 1997 - 2003.

   • Partnership: Established partnerships with industries and academia to advance industrial technology research and transfer with 60+ stakeholders. Served as a U.S. Delegate to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) on Personal Equipment Design for Protection against Falls (1999-2010).

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 

Supervisory Position - analogous to Associate Professor and Program Director ranks

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

Project Lead Position - analogous to Assistant Professor rank

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

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

Industrial Safety Engineer/Assistant to Manager, Formosa Plastics, 1979-83

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

Ph.D., Industrial and Operations Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (1990) [with dissertation]

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

M.A., Design and Environmental Analysis, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York [with thesis]

B.S.E., Industrial Design Engineering, College of Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan [with thesis]