Category: Alumni

University of Central Florida
Majoring in Psychology
Minoring in Leadership Studies
Joined Lab: Spring 2012
Expects to Graduate: Spring 2016

Angela discovered the MIT² lab while networking with faculty members at her previous school.  In 2013, Angela graduated from Valencia College with honors from the Seneff Honors College as an Undergraduate Research Scholar, with an emphasis in Psychological Sciences. She plans to complete the Honors In The Major program and continue being an involved student with several organizations including Psi Chi, the international honors society in psychology. After finishing her undergraduate degree she plans to work towards her Ph.D. and return to academia to conduct research.  Her academic interests include team dynamics, performance, physiological psychology, and leadership.

Her curriculum vita is available by request.

Applied Experimental and Human Factors
Psychology Ph.D Student
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology
M.S., Industrial & Organizational Psychology, Carlos Albizu University
B.A., Psychology, Florida International University

Jurate is multilingual industrial psychology professional, applied researcher and entrepreneur, with experience in both individual and organizational performance assessment, intervention and change management. Jurate has attained her Master of Science degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and is a Doctoral Candidate in the Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology Program at UCF.

Jurates research topics include individual differences in human performance, diversity and culture, macroergonomics and their impact on safety and resilience in the complex industrial systems. Dissertation research area: Organizational Safety Culture and Resilience Assessment.

Her professional role as Senior Industrial Human Performance Advisor in the Global Environmental Health and Safety Programs at Siemens, offers for a real world application, where Jurate is leading human performance workshops, developing advanced human factors modules, as well as routine investigation tools and training, all to fortify the organizational resilience. She serves as the human factors expert on various committees and assessment teams in the USA and Europe, is a frequent contributor to the Zero Harm Culture @ Siemens communication and learning efforts; that includes speaking on the subject at the external international safety conferences and roundtables.

Jurate believes that the strength of the organization lies in its ability to embrace all aspects of diversity. She serves as Community Lead Officer at the Disability Awareness and Support Network, is Co-Producer of the Disability Awareness Month @ Siemens and is active in many other diversity related initiatives.

Jurates recent entrepreneurial venture combines her expertise, experience and insights, but foremost her love and devotion to what is regarded by society as anomalous and labeled as disorder or disability. Jurate has founded a career services organization, to serve Autistic (ASD) community globally.

Kristin Schaefer, Ph.D.
Modeling and Simulation Ph.D
Ph.D, University of Central Florida Institute for Simulation and Training
M.S., Modeling and Simulation, University of Central Florida
B.S., Psychology, Susquehanna University

Kristin Schaefer is a Doctoral Candidate in the Modeling and Simulation program at the University of Central Florida. She obtained her B.A. in the field of psychology with a minor in sociology from Susquehanna University, PA. She also holds a M.S. in the field of Modeling and Simulation from the University of Central Florida. Kristin works for the Institute for Simulation and Training in collaboration with Dr. Peter Hancock and Dr. Deborah Billings. She is currently researching human-robot trust for the Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (RCTA) in association with the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). Kristin’s primary research interests include human-robot interaction, unmanned systems, individual differences, and multi-touch technologies.

A Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing the Development of Trust in Automation: Implications for Human-Robot Interaction

Psychology Undergraduate Student
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology

Wissam “Sam” Nahlous is currently a senior at the University of Central Florida finishing his B.S. in psychology, all the while taking all necessary pre-med classes, to fulfill his aspiration of getting into medical school. Ultimately, he would like to land a psychiatry or a neurology residency, so he can work with mental disorders. He joined the MIT2 Lab in Summer of 2012. Has been working on gathering literature on varied aspects of Human Performance under the guidance of Jurate Liutvinskaite M.S. Sam strives to gain diverse research experience. He speaks English, Arabic, well versed in French, and is currently learning German during his leisure time. Sam works part-time as a psychiatric technician at the Psychiatric Medical Unit at the Florida Hospital.

Psychology Undergraduate Student
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology

Emily is a current senior majoring in psychology and minoring in crime, law and deviance. She was born and raised in the Orlando area and plans on attending graduate school beginning Fall, 2013 in clinical psychology, focusing on treatment development and evaluation for correctional facilities. Emily is especially interested in the potential for technology to be incorporated into treatment initiatives. Throughout her time with MIT2, she has been involved in a number of studies examining human-robot interaction, especially variables related to increasing and maintaining trust in robotics during military tasks.

Psychology Undergraduate Student
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology

Jacquelyn Cook is currently a senior pursuing her B.S. in Psychology. She has been a part of the RCTA Human-Robot Trust Project in the MIT2 lab since Spring 2011. While at the lab, Jacquelyn has collected research for a meta analysis and has performed various other tasks related to human interpersonal trust and human-animal trust. Her primary research interests include leadership, human factors and industrial/organizational psychology. Jacquelyn plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology after her career as an undergraduate at UCF. In her free time, Jacquelyn enjoys playing video games and writing.

Psychology Undergraduate Student
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology

My name is Maria Barrera, and I am a junior at the University of Central Florida.
I am majoring in Psychology, and I aspire to attend graduate school to focus more on clinical studies. I am currently a research assistant, and I hope to gain valuable experience that I can apply toward future research in the area of substance abuse, in which I have a particular interest.

Post-Doctoral Associate
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology
Institute for Simulation and Training

Dr. Kim is a research scientist in Department of Psychology at University of Central Florida. He received his PhD from Department of Industrial Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University in 2008. He joined MIT2 Lab in August 2009. His academic research interests span cognitive science (psychology), computer science, and engineering. He is interested in modeling and simulation of human cognition (i.e., using the ACT-R cognitive architecture), and testing cognitive mechanisms and theories against data gathered from experimentation with human subjects in a laboratory setting. Also, based on the theoretical understanding, he is interested in developing applications. His current research projects include modeling of time-constrained behavior (sponsored by Army Research Office), and developing smart tutoring systems supporting skill acquisition and retention (sponsored by Office of Naval Research). ACT-R – FAQ | Soar – FAQ

Modeling and Simulation: Human Systems
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology
M.S., Psychology, Mercy College

Joe Mercado is a PhD student in the Modeling and Simulation: Human Systems program at the University of Central Florida. He is also a fellow of the Consortium Research Fellows Program working with the U.S. Army Research Institute (ARI) for the Behavioral & Social Sciences. He recently completed working at the United States Military Academy in West Point as the Research Psychologist Lab Technician for the Engineering Psychology program. He obtained his B.A. in Psychology from Mercy College and also holds a M.S. in Psychology from Mercy College. Joe’s primary research interests include multi-modality and training and assessment in a technology-enabled learning environment.