NIOSH Training Program Grant

NIOSH Training Program at ISE

Program Overview

Welcome to the NIOSH training program, proudly hosted by ISE’s Human-Systems Engineering team. This program, which began in 1999, was led by Drs. Gary Mirka and Carolyn Sommerich. Notably, it was created to address and help reduce occupational injuries and illnesses across North Carolina and the southeastern U.S.

Specifically, this program prepares you to become a skilled occupational safety and ergonomics professional. Moreover, you will engage in research focusing on human-systems engineering and closely related fields. For instance, these fields include occupational biomechanics, virtual and augmented reality, brain-computer interfaces, cognitive ergonomics, and human-robot collaboration. As a result of this work, you will help design systems that are both safer and more efficient by advancing our understanding of human cognitive and physical abilities.

Additionally, this training program emphasizes the Safety and Ergonomics component of the NIOSH-funded NC Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center (NC OSHERC). Importantly, NC OSHERC features four additional components:

Occupational Exposure Science (UNC)
Total Worker Health (UNC)
Occupational Epidemiology (UNC)
Occupational Medicine (DUKE)

By joining this exceptional program, you will acquire the essential skills and knowledge needed to make workplaces safer and healthier. Furthermore, this unique opportunity can help you grow into a leader in the field of occupational safety and ergonomics.

students in the niosh training program test out lab equipment.

Interested in joining the program? Contact any faculty member in Human-Systems Engineering

Program Structure

Admission Criteria

3.0 GPA
As well as, GRE scores of Verbal ≥ 150, Quantitative ≥ 153, Analytical Writing ≥ 3.0
Moreover, Minorities are encouraged to apply
However, only U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible for support

Financial Support

9-month stipend – currently $2,196/month
Additionally, 3-month summer research support or internship
Also, tuition support and State of NC health insurance during your degree

M.S. and Ph.D. Programs

In addition, for each respective degree’s requirements, trainees in NIOSH training programs must take ISE540, ISE541, ISE544, ISE741, ISE744 or ISE745, ISE794 or ISE796.
Also, students must take ENVR 795 and ENVR 423, as offered by the ERC components at UNC.

Current Human-Systems Engineering Courses through NC State ISE and Psychology

ISE/PSY 540 – Human Factors in Systems Design
ISE 541 – Occupational Safety Engineering
ISE 544 – Occupational Biomechanics
ISE/PSY 740 – Engineering Psychology of Human-computer Interaction
ISE 741 – Systems Safety Engineering
ISE/PSY 743 – Ergonomic Performance Assessment
ISE 744 – Human Information Processing
ISE/PSY 745 – Human Performance Modeling
ISE 794 – Advanced Problems in Ergonomics
ISE 796 – Research Practicum in Occupational Biomechanics

Recent Achievements

Recent NIOSH Program Graduates, Research Topics, and First Employers after Graduation

Zachary Traylor – Brain Vision LLC
- Sex Differences in Pain Perception and Event Related Neural Correlates of Pain
Clayton Matthew Hutmacher – John Deere
- Seat Bolster Design and Discomfort in Agricultural and Lawncare Applications
Robert Hazel – Emergo
- An Inertial Sensor-Based Ergonomic Feedback System for a Human-Robot Collaboration Assembly Task: Prototype, Proof of Concept and User Study
Tyler Rose – OPW
- Effect of Immersion on Task Performance and Cardiac Response in a Virtual Reality Assembly Training Simulation
Mei Ying Lau – John Hopkins University
- Development of a Severity Measure for Fault Tree Analysis and an Intuitive Fault Tree Analysis Software Prototype
Rebecca Widmayer – Premier Inc.
- Emergency Medicine Patient Lift Training Simulation in Virtual Reality
Melissa White – University of Florida
- Biomechanical Implications of Duty Belts Used by Police Officers
Carl Pankok – Drexel University
- A Knowledge and Data-Driven Integrated Measure of Display Clutter with Attention Allocation Factors
Michael Clamann – Duke University
- Adaptive Haptic Forces in a Virtual Environment Improve Fine Motor Skill Training.
Olivia Morejon – Maine Medical Center
- Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Gas Delivery Operations and Job Readiness Recommendations.
Brendan Corbett – Biotronik
- The Effects of Haptic Feedback and Visual Distraction on Pointing Task Performance in 3D Haptic Virtual Environments.
William Heath – Humanscale
- An Assessment of Perceived Risk of Extension Ladder Set-Up Angles and Safety Label Effectiveness.
Amy Wadeson – John Deere
- Effects of Stretching on Muscle Activation Levels in Gas Cylinder Handling

Current Funded NIOSH Trainees

Ph.D.

Nathan Sanders
Liliana Gomez

M.S.

Maya Peleg

Selected Peer-reviewed Publications by NIOSH Trainees

Driver Performance and Virtual Reality

Li, L., Hutmacher Jr, C. M., & Xu, X. (2019). Video-Based Driver’s Hand Tracking using Fast Normalized Cross Coefficient with Improved Computational Efficiency. Transportation Research Record, 2673(8), 233-241.
Rose, T., Nam, C.S., Chen, K. B. (2018). Immersion of Virtual Reality for Rehabilitation – Review. Applied Ergonomics, 69, 153–161.

Ergonomic Displays and Interruption Effects

Pankok, C. & Kaber, D. B. (2017). An integrated measure of display clutter based on feature content, user knowledge, and attention allocation factors. Ergonomics, 14, 1–15. DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2017.1401669.
Pankok, C., Zahabi, M., Zhang, W., Choi, I., Liao, Y-F., Nam, C-S. & Kaber, D. B. (2017). The effects of interruption similarity and complexity on performance in a visual-manual mock assembly operation. Applied Ergonomics, 59(A), 94–103. DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2016.08.022.

Roadway Signage and Driver Behavior

Rasdorf, W., Machado, P., Hummer, J., Kaber, D., Zahabi, M., Lau, M. & Pankok, C. (2017). The impact of nine-panel logo signs, logo familiarity, logo format, and drivers’ age on food and attraction target identification. Transportation Research Record (Journal of the Transportation Research Board), Vol. 2624, DOI: 10.3141/2624-02.
Zahabi, M., Machado, P., Pankok, C., Lau, M-Y., Liao, Y-F., Hummer, J., Rasdorf, W. & Kaber, D. B. (2017). The role of driver age in performance and attention allocation effects of roadway sign count, format, and familiarity. Applied Ergonomics, 63, 17–30. DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2017.04.001.

Driver Attention and Logo Signs

Zahabi, M., Machado, P., Pankok, C., Lau, M-Y., Liao, Y-F., Hummer, J., Rasdorf, W. & Kaber, D. B. (2017). Driver performance and attention allocation in the use of logo signs on freeway exit ramps. Applied Ergonomics, 65, 70–80. DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2017.06.001.
Zahabi, M., Pankok, C., Kaber, D. B., Machado, P., Lau, M-Y., Hummer, J. & Rasdorf, W. (2017). On-road visual sign salience, driver attention allocation, and target detection accuracy. Transportation Research Record (Journal of the Transportation Research Board), Vol. 2663, DOI: 10.3141/2663-06.

Physical Workload and Prosthetics

White, M., Zhang, W., Winslow, A., Zahabi, M., Zhang, F., Huang, H. & Kaber, D. B. (2017). Usability comparison of conventional direct control vs. Pattern recognition control of an upper-limb prosthesis. IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, 47(6), 1146-1157.
White, M. M., Morejon, O. N., Liu, S. J., Lau, M. Y., Nam, C. S., & Kaber, D. B. (2017). Muscle loading in exoskeletal orthotic use in an activity of daily living. Applied Ergonomics, 58, 190-197.

Workload and Navigation

Zahabi, M., Zhang, W., Pankok, C., Lau, M-Y., Shirley, J. & Kaber, D. B. (2017). Effect of physical workload and modality of information presentation on pattern recognition and navigation task performance by high-fit young males. Ergonomics, 60(11), 1516-1527. DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2017.1324115.