Garland says the ideal level of automation is one that keeps the operator involved. Two degrees are offered The Embry-Riddle department grants two degrees, a bachelor's degree in applied experimental psychology and a master's degree in human factors and systems. The bachelor's is the only undergraduate human factors degree program in the nation that is focused on designing products and systems for aviation. The master's program will graduate human factors experts who are qualified to run design teams and conduct human factors investigations. Students can focus on areas such as human senses in flight, information processing, human workload, group interaction and flight crew performance, flight training and simulation, human error, and aircrew fatigue and circadian rhythm.
Garland says students also are given opportunties to help faculty with human factors research.
The public wants safe products' Researchers at the University have benefitted from growing public concern about human performance problems in aviation, which led the Congress in 1988 to direct the Federal Aviation Administration to increase its funding and support of research on the relationship between human factors and aviation safety. Assisting him are Massood Towhidnejad, associate professor of computer science, and Donald Tilden, senior research associate in human factors. With John Wise, professor of human factors and systems, Garland is involved in a McDonnell Douglas-funded project to measure the situational awareness of pilots. For McDonnell Douglas, Wise is developing and evaluating cockpit displays for free-flight, in which pilots set their own course and fly with little or no guidance from air traffic contollers. Gerry Gibb, associate professor of human factors and systems, is developing procedures to select, train, and certify airport security personnel and to train screeners to detect explosives.