Presenter Email
jamie.barrett@faa.gov
Abstract
When most people think of jobs in aviation or at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), they think of pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Maintainers, etc., those directly involved in the movement of aircraft, passengers, and cargo. However, to safely move over 26K passengers (avg) daily requires many diverse occupations. Included within the complexity of aviation operations are individuals with backgrounds in Psychology, Human Factors, and Instructional Design. It is important to raise awareness of the diversity of aviation jobs and pathways to achieving those opportunities, to attract a diverse next generation workforce. The Human Factors Research Division at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) established a volunteer research program for STEM outreach and to give opportunities for students to conduct research on a broad array of topics in aviation, including job analysis for Air Traffic Organization jobs, Safety Culture, and Stress Management training for Air Traffic Controller students at the FAA Academy. Under this program, undergraduate or graduate students take an active role in conducting research activities alongside a CAMI Principal Investigator (PI). This program allows the students to take part in real-world operational research under the supervision of an experienced researcher and contribute to the overall Human Factors Division goals. This program also delivers periodic seminars with other PIs and research presentations by scientists outside of the FAA. These experiences increase awareness of the different types of research and job opportunities in aviation. Our goal is that this knowledge will empower students from diverse backgrounds to pursue aviation careers.
Student Research Opportunities in Aviation Human Factors
When most people think of jobs in aviation or at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), they think of pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Maintainers, etc., those directly involved in the movement of aircraft, passengers, and cargo. However, to safely move over 26K passengers (avg) daily requires many diverse occupations. Included within the complexity of aviation operations are individuals with backgrounds in Psychology, Human Factors, and Instructional Design. It is important to raise awareness of the diversity of aviation jobs and pathways to achieving those opportunities, to attract a diverse next generation workforce. The Human Factors Research Division at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) established a volunteer research program for STEM outreach and to give opportunities for students to conduct research on a broad array of topics in aviation, including job analysis for Air Traffic Organization jobs, Safety Culture, and Stress Management training for Air Traffic Controller students at the FAA Academy. Under this program, undergraduate or graduate students take an active role in conducting research activities alongside a CAMI Principal Investigator (PI). This program allows the students to take part in real-world operational research under the supervision of an experienced researcher and contribute to the overall Human Factors Division goals. This program also delivers periodic seminars with other PIs and research presentations by scientists outside of the FAA. These experiences increase awareness of the different types of research and job opportunities in aviation. Our goal is that this knowledge will empower students from diverse backgrounds to pursue aviation careers.
Comments
Presented in Session 4 C - Human Factors in Aviation & Spaceflight