He directs the Engineering Design Program and heads the OPEN Design Laboratory (www.dfhv.org). His research efforts focus on tools and methodologies for the design of artifacts which are robust to human variability (e.g., anthropometry, capability, and preference). He has received several teaching awards, SAE’s Teetor Educational Award (2009) and Withrow Distinguished Presenter Award (2008), the ASME DETC “Best Paper Award” (2007) and SAE’s Arch T. Colwell Merit Award for “Best Paper of the Year” (2003). He is a special associate editor for ASME’s Journal of Mechanical Design and chairs the ASME Design Engineering Division’s Student and Early Career Professionals Committee. Parkinson recently received a National Science Foundation CAREER award for activities redefining the foundations of designing for human variability.