Category: People

Jenny Walker

University of Central Florida
B.Sc. Biology, University of Central Florida
B.Sc. Psychology, University of Central Florida
Joined Lab: Fall 2012
Graduated: Spring 2016

Jenny Walker discovered the MIT2 lab by asking her physiological psychology instructor, Dr. Shawn Stafford, about conducting research. Jenny was accepted into the prestigious Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program in October of 2013. She is interested in cognitive neuroscience with a focus on learning and memory. She has been accepted at Georgia Institute of Technology under the advisement of Dr. Mark Wheeler.

Honors Thesis

Rebecca McKeogh

University of Central Florida
Majoring in Psychology
Minoring in Biology
Joined Lab: Spring 2013
Expects to Graduate: Spring 2015

Rebecca discovered the MIT2 lab through her professor Dr. Stafford. She is interested in physiological psychology, cognitive Psychology, and neuroscience. She plans to continue conducting research into graduate school while working toward her Ph.D.

Keith R. MacArthur, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Modeling & Simulation
University of Central Florida – Institute for Simulation & Training
M.Sc. Modeling & Simulation, UCF School of Modeling, Simulation, & Training
B.Sc. Psychology, University of Central Florida

Publications

Theresa Kessler, M.S.

PhD Applied Experimental and Human Factors
with a focus in Cognitive Neuroscience

M.S. in Modeling & Simulation, Institute for Simulation and Training
B.Sc. in Psychology, University of Central Florida

Angela Bardwell-Owens

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.

Peter Hancock, Ph.D.

Provost’s Distinguished Research Professor, Pegasus Professor & Trustee Chair
University of Central Florida – Department of Psychology
Institute for Simulation and Training
peter.hancock@ucf.edu
personal website email

Peter A. Hancock, D.Sc., Ph.D. is the University Pegasus Professor and Provost Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for Simulation and Training, as well as at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Central Florida where he is the Director of the MIT2 Research Laboratories. Prior to his current position he founded and was the Director of the Human Factors Research Laboratory (HFRL) at the University of Minnesota where he held appointments as Professor in the Departments of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Psychology, and Kinesiology as well as at the Cognitive Science Center and the Center on Aging Research.

Julia L. Wright, Ph.D.

Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology PhD Student
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology
B.S., Psychology, Grand Valley State University
M.S., Modeling & Simulation, Human Systems, University of Central Florida
Office: Psychology Building, Suite 209
Julia Wright comes to Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology after a career in mechanical design engineering that included work in heavy industrial installations, appliance and automotive industries. During her time designing finish parts and assemblies for the appliance and automotive industries, she consistently strove to incorporate features into products that made them more user-friendly and intuitive for all consumer interactions from manufacture and assembly through to end-user. Wanting to better understand the psychology of design, she returned to school to earn her BS in Psychology from Grand Valley State University, focusing on cognitive psychology with a minor in applied statistics. As an undergraduate student Julia worked in several research projects, including “the benefits of interruptions during complex task performance”. She is interested in memory and attention, visual attention, cognitive load distribution and human-technology interaction, particularly bridging the intuitive gap between humans and technology. One of Julia’s goals is to develop a cognitive psychology course specifically targeting the needs of engineering students to better prepare future design engineers. Julia is a Presidential Doctoral Fellowship recipient.

Timothy White, Ph.D.

Applied Experimental and Human Factors
Applied Experimental Human Factors doctoral graduate
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology
M.S., Computer Science, Jackson State University
B.S., Computer Science, Jackson State University
web
Timothy L. White is a Ph.D. student in the Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology program at the University of Central Florida. He is currently employed in the Dismounted Warrior Branch in the Human Research and Engineering Directorate (HRED) of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL). He has worked in the area of sensory performance, primarily focusing on the use of tactile displays systems as a means of communication for dismounted Soldier. Mr. White has also supported an immersive virtual environment system used for conducting controlled, laboratory-based investigations of Soldier performance by modeling custom virtual environments, providing hardware support, and performing data collection.

Jurate Liutvinskaite, M.S.

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.

Tracy Sanders, Ph.D.

Applied Experimental and Human Factors
Psychology Ph.D. Student
University of Central Florida
Department of Psychology
B.S., Psychology, University of Central Florida

Tracy Sanders comes from an extensive background in fine art and graphic design, and continues to be interested especially in the role of aesthetic qualities in human factors research. She received her B.S. in Psychology in 2011, with a minor in Studio Art at the University of Central Florida. As an undergraduate, she studied trust in human robot interaction, time perception, and 3-dimensional studio art. She also holds an A.S. in graphic design form The Colorado Institute of Art. Now a Ph.D. student in the Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology program at the University of Central Florida, she is a research assistant on the RCTA, Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance project, focusing her work on the aesthetic components of trust and robotics, and the physiological indicators of trust in HRI.

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

Kristin Schaefer Ph.D

Kristin Schaefer, M.S.
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

Wissam “Sam” Nahlous

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.

Emily Edwards


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.

Jacquelyn Cook

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.

Maria Barrera

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.

Jong W. Kim, Ph.D.

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

Joe Mercado, Ph.D

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

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.

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