Q&A with Ricardo Palma Fraga, ISE PhD Student

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Ricardo Palma, OU School of Industrial and Systems Engineering doctoral student and graduate research assistant from Caracas, Venezuela, has been recognized for his technical presentations. He is advised by ISE Associate Professor Ziho Kang.

Palma answered a few questions about his student experience.

How did you learn about OU/ISE and why did you choose to study at OU?

I decided to pursue a degree in industrial and systems engineering as it's a career path that emphasizes an interdisciplinary systems-thinking methodology to solving real-world complex problems in a sustainable manner -- important tools that will be needed to solve the major engineering problems of the 21st century. Within this broad area, my focus lies in the human aspect of systems to tackle questions such as: how we adapt to environments, what affects and guides our performance in a task, how can we adequately define and measure skill/expertise in semantically rich environments, among others. I chose to continue my education with a PhD in ISE at the University of Oklahoma as it provides me with the opportunity to learn from an amazing faculty body, as well utilize my creativity to tackle these fascinating problems.

Can you tell me about the research you are working on and how long you've been affiliated with the project?

My current research has focused on identifying and quantifying how veteran local air traffic controllers in a high-fidelity simulation carry out their various tasks to maintain the safety of the airspace system, which in turn, can then be used to help improve the training of the future generation of air traffic controllers. For this purpose, we've utilized a wide variety of state-of-the-art neuroergonmic devices, such as eye-trackers and functional near-infrared spectroscopy, to measure cognitive workload and explore how they interact with their environment.

You are referred to as an outstanding researcher and mentor. Can you tell me how you see yourself as a mentor to other ISE students?

I first joined the department as a freshman in the Fall of 2013, and I've been a member throughout my bachelor's, master's and current PhD degrees. Throughout this time, I've tried to act as a mentor to other members of our program in order to help them reach their goals. I've been able to achieve this through my participation in professional organizations such as the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, my role as a teaching Assistant, and my involvement in the newly created Graduate Council of Excellence in the Gallogly College of Engineering.

What are your plans after earning your PhD?

That's a great question -- my plan after completing my PhD is to remain in academia and pursue a career as a professor. I've always had a passion for all the major tasks our faculty engage in: teaching, mentoring, and research!

Following are a list of presentation awards received since 2017:

2020
2nd Place Presentation Award
Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence, Virtual Meeting, Nov. 16-17, 2020
Fraga, R. P.*, Reddy, P., Kang, Z., Izzetoglu, K., Crutchfield, J. M., Multimodal Analysis using Neuroimaging and Eye Movements to Assess Cognitive Workload: A Case Study of ATCT Local Controllers. Technical Training and Human Performance (TTHP) Meeting.

3rd Place Presentation Award
Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence, Virtual Meeting, Nov. 16-17, 2020
Kang, Z., Dyer, J. W., West, S. G., Fraga, R. P.*, Mandal, S., Egwu, U. K., and McClung. S. N. (2019). Characterization of air traffic controllers’ visual search patterns and control strategies. Technical Training and Human Performance (TTHP) Meeting, 

2019
1st Place Best Presentation Award 
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, Apr. 17, 2019
Kang, Z., Dyer, J. W., West, S. G., Fraga, R. P.*, Mandal, S., Egwu, U. K., and McClung. S. N. (2019). Characterization of air traffic controllers’ visual search patterns and control strategies. Technical Training and Human Performance (TTHP) Meeting, Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence, 

2017
1st Place Best Presentation Award (and scholarship)
Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence, Apr. 3-5, Philadelphia, PA.  
Kang, Z., Dyer, J., West, S. G., Mandal, S., Fraga, R. P.*, McClung, S., and Egwu, U. K. (2017). Characterization of visual scanning patterns and aircraft control strategies for efficient and effective training. Poster session in Solutions for Operational Aviation Research (SOAR) Q2 meeting.

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