97-07-11 Trustees Approve Ergonomics Institute

TRUSTEES APPROVE INSTITUTE FOR ERGONOMICS

     COLUMBUS -- A new institute at The Ohio State University
will consolidate efforts of faculty who are working to find
safer, more productive ways for people to work.

     The university’s Board of Trustees Friday (7/11) approved
creation of the Institute for Ergonomics, a multi-disciplinary
research unit to be housed in the College of Engineering but
involving involve faculty and students from around the
university.

     The institute’s three main goals are: (1)to establish a
cross disciplinary research program to help solve current and
future ergonomics problems of industry and government, (2)to
disseminate information and transfer technology to industry, and
(3) to provide a hands-on learning environment for the study of
ergonomics by graduate and undergraduate students.

     Ergonomics, the science of analyzing human-workplace
interaction as a complete system, has two distinct branches:
physical and cognitive -- or to put it in simplest terms, body
and mind.  Physical ergonomics includes topics such as
biomechanics and workplace design and is concerned with problems
like carpel tunnel syndrome and lower back disorders.  Cognitive
ergonomics studies how people process information and looks at
topics such as human error, cooperative problem-solving and
intelligent information retrieval systems.

     According to Patricia Bertsche, manager of the new Institute
for Ergonomics, the Ohio State program will be unique in bringing
both physical and cognitive branches together in an academic
setting.

     “In today’s workplaces, the need to integrate physical and
cognitive ergonomics issues is greater than ever.  By optimizing
the relationship of human performance and technology we can
enhance safety, productivity, quality and flexibility,” she said.
“The Ohio State University Institute for Ergonomics, with its
extensive and cross disciplinary focus, is well prepared to
address these problems.”

     Initially, 20 faculty members from 12 departments will be
affiliated with the institute, with others joining over the next
several years.  All will be expected to spend 20 percent of their
time in institute activities.

     The daily operations of the institute will be overseen by
co-directors William S. Marras and Philip J. Smith.  Marras,
professor of industrial, welding and systems engineering and
professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, is director of
the Biodynamics Laboratory, one of key units in the new
institute.  Smith, professor of industrial, welding and systems
engineering, is co-director of the Cognitive Systems Engineering
Laboratory, another core unit of the institute.

     Other faculty come from orthopedics, medical informatics,
pathology, physical medicine, industrial design, psychology,
statistics, biomedical engineering, anesthesiology, computer and
information science, and the Center for Cognitive Science.

     The institute will also have a board of directors composed
of faculty members and an advisory board of representatives from
outside organizations.

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Contact: Patricia Bertsche, manager, Institute of Ergonomics,
(614) 292-4606.


[Submitted by: Von Vargas  (vargas.12@osu.edu)
               
Fri, 11 Jul 1997 14:40:40 -0400 (EDT)]
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