HFES XRTG Officers
Chair
Stephanie Fussell
Dr. Stephanie G. Fussell is a Scientist with Aptima, working closely with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Gaming Research Integration for Learning Laboratory® (GRILL®). Her research focuses on extended reality training competency, efficiency, and effectiveness; meeting user experience requirements; and demonstrating transfer of training. She is a member of ICAO and FAA working groups to introduce XR into flight training guidance.
Vice Chair
Karen Chen
Karen B. Chen is an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University in the Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. She received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015 (M.S. 2010 UW-Madison, B.S. 2009 UW-Madison), with a focus on human factors, virtual reality, and human-machine interfaces. Chen’s research leverages virtual reality and augmented reality to examine human performances and behaviors, including evoking muscular contractions and physiological responses in virtual reality, experience virtual embodiment, and examining behavioral validity of human responses in virtual reality.
Program Chair
Hy Kim
Hyungil Kim is an Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is currently leading the Human-Centered Engineering lab where his team explores new methods for the requirements analysis, design, prototyping, and evaluation of extended reality applications with an emphasis on human-technology partnerships at future workplaces. He has more than 10 years of research experience in extended reality and has published over 30 papers in top conferences and journals such as ASPIRE, IEEE VR, IEEE ISMAR, IEEE TVCG, ACM IUI, and Human Factors.
Prog. Vice Chair
Md Shafiqul Islam
Md Shafiqul Islam is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He primarily works with the McKechnie Family Life Home and the Human Factors and Aging Lab. His research work focuses on inclusive design and human-centered evaluation of emerging technologies. In his current role, he is investigating how extended reality (XR) and robotics can support safer training and greater independence in everyday life. His research integrates experimental design, usability testing, and performance analytics to understand how people interact with systems in real-world tasks such as mobility, transfers, and at-home activities.
Secretary/Treasurer
Amelia C. Warden
Amelia C. Warden is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Warden earned a PhD in Psychology from Colorado State University and has an MS degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Idaho, along with a BS in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Kansas. She also holds an MFA in Photography/Mixed Media from Washington State University. She has collaborated with scientists in Psychology, Computer Science, Atmospheric Science, Information Visualization, and the Naval Research Lab, which served as driving forces behind her research interests.
Communications Director
Ahmad Albawaneh
Ahmad Albawaneh is a Ph.D. student in Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago and is currently a Graduate Research Assistant in the Human-Centered Engineering Lab. His research lies at the intersection of Human–Machine Interaction, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Extended Reality (XR). He focuses on using XR as a platform for virtual experimentation to study human behavior, decision-making, and interaction with intelligent systems in complex or difficult-to-recreate real-world scenarios.
Newsletter Editor
Vacant
