While studying mechanical and aerospace engineering as an undergraduate, I was also learning to fly with the Royal Air Force. At some point I realized that what I was most interested in was the intersection of engineering design and practical operations.
In the case of a pilot's interactions with an airplane or an astronaut's with a spacecraft, this would include finding answers to questions such as how displays can help pilots accomplish a specific task, how controls should be standardized and harmonized, and how human occupants should be protected from the harsh outside environment.
In graduate school studying mechanical engineering, I focused my research on human factors –the discipline that attempts to answer questions like these to improve the design of any system with a human user, which essentially applies to everything we humans design and build.
Human factors is a rewarding discipline for two main reasons. First, it sits at the intersection of many fascinating subjects: human physiology, cognitive science, control theory, and dynamics, to name just a few. It's also very consequential. Human performance is often the limiting component of overall system performance, and human error is considered to be the most common cause of accidents and incidents. So, designing with human needs and limitations in mind is the best way to ensure a safe and effective system.
The Fellowship is an amazing collection of talented engineers and scientists who bring their knowledge, experience, and a great deal of passion to Boeing's programs. It provides an unmatched opportunity to influence the effectiveness of Boeing products – products that are critical to connecting people and defending nations.
I get excited about the fact that while we can see some important trends, we don't know exactly what the future will look like. At Boeing, we have the opportunity to use our knowledge, experience, and imagination to help shape it.