Society News

Table of Contents

• HFES President's Message
• Register for ASPIRE—the 69th HFES International Annual Meeting
• Creating AI That Works for People: Human-Centered Innovation | ASPIRE 25 Keynote Presenter: Missy Cummings
• ASPIRE Call for Late-Breaking Results Now Open 
• Are You a Student Planning on Attending ASPIRE 2025? Apply for These Awards
• Inclusive HF/E: Apply for Support to Attend ASPIRE
• Promote the Work of Your University Lab at ASPIRE
• ANSI/HFES 400-2021, “Human Readiness Level Scale in the System Development Process” Adopted on May 1 for Use by the Department of Defense
• Human Factors Journal Moves to Exclusive License to Publish (ELP) Contributor Form
• Human Factors and Ergonomics: A Vital Profession for Today and the Future
• Science Policy Fellows Advocate for Human Factors Priorities on Capitol Hill
• Volunteers of the Month
• Atif Mohammed Ashraf Wins 2025 Dieter W. Jahns Student Award
• Apply for the HFES Emerging Leaders Program
• Apply for the Outstanding Student Chapter and Student Member with Honors Awards
• Upcoming Meetings and Activities
• Community Updates

HFES President's Message

Hello colleagues and friends,

In some parts of the world, summer is here, which means being in the pool when you can, scheduling summer vacations if you can and staying hydrated! For others, it means finally getting some relief from the cold. Whichever situation you are in, I hope you’re able to enjoy the longer days and get some sunshine (with sunscreen on, of course!). Here are some musings and events for you this month.

Register for ASPIRE—the 69th HFES International Annual Meeting

Registration for ASPIRE—the 69th HFES International Annual Meeting is open. Register now for our lowest rates!

Join us in Chicago from October 13-17, where innovation, research and education come together to advance HF/E. With more than 600 technical presentations, special sessions, networking opportunities and dedicated programming like ErgoX, UX Mini-Conference, Creating AI that Works for People, the vendor hall and the popular Job Fair, ASPIRE is the premier event for reconnecting with colleagues, gaining fresh insights and shaping the future of our field.

Creating AI That Works for People: Human-Centered Innovation | ASPIRE 25 Keynote Presenter: Missy Cummings

Friday, October 17 | 12:00-1 p.m. CT

Prof. Cummings earned her B.S. in mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy, her M.S. in space systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and her PhD in systems engineering from the University of Virginia. A former naval officer and one of the Navy’s first female fighter pilots, she now serves as a professor in George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing. She directs both the Mason Responsible AI program and the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC). Her research focuses on AI in safety-critical systems, assured autonomy, human-systems engineering and the ethical and social impact of technology.

Don’t miss her keynote: "The Future of Human Factors and AI Innovation."

ASPIRE Call for Late-Breaking Results Now Open 

HFES will hold a late-breaking results session to feature newly available HF/E research, selecting a limited number of submissions that were not part of the original call for contributions. This is your opportunity to showcase new and noteworthy work in the HF/E field that was not available for the original call for contributions. 

Submit an abstract by Thursday, July 31. 

Are You a Student Planning on Attending ASPIRE 2025? Apply for These Awards

HFES is offering two $500 travel awards to help students attend ASPIRE.

• First-Year Graduate Student Travel Award: Open to students who began their graduate program in Fall 2024 or later. Recipients will be randomly selected from completed applications.
• Student Presenter Award: Available to student members who are presenting authors of accepted papers or posters. A faculty nomination is required and awards are based on financial need.

All applicants must be HFES members at the time of submission.

The deadline to apply is Friday, July 18.

Inclusive Human Factors and Ergonomics: Apply for Support to Attend ASPIRE

Are you curious about what drives people to behave a certain way, especially in their interactions with technology? Would you like to leverage this curiosity and be part of designing a better future for all? 

HFES invites students from underrepresented groups in science and engineering to apply for support to attend ASPIRE. As part of this opportunity, you'll be welcomed to Inclusive HFE (iHFE) Day on Wednesday, October 15—a day dedicated to building equity and belonging in the HF/E field. Enjoy a complimentary luncheon, connect with mentors and reflect on your experience in a supportive, inspiring environment.

Promote the Work of Your University Lab at ASPIRE

HFES invites university labs to participate in the University Lab Showcase to highlight HF/E educational and research programs. Posters may be attended or unattended, and each lab will be allotted one-quarter of a poster board, with maximum dimensions of 42” x 42.” Space is limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Submit your intent to participate by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, August 29.

ANSI/HFES 400-2021, “Human Readiness Level Scale in the System Development Process” Adopted on May 1, 2025, for Use by the Department of Defense

The Department of Defense (DoD) formally adopted the ANSI/HFES 400-2021 standard "Human Readiness Level Scale in the System Development Process" to evaluate, track and track the human readiness of systems critical for mission success. 

This standard defines nine levels of the Human Readiness Level (HRL) scale and provides guidance for their application in the context of systems engineering and human systems integration processes. The HRL scale complements and supplements the existing Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale to evaluate, track and communicate the readiness of a technology or system for safe and effective human use. Implementation guidance not included in the standard will be included in the 2025 update to the DoD Human Systems Integration Guidebook.

Human Factors Journal Moves to Exclusive License to Publish (ELP) Contributor Form

On November 1, 2025, Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society will move from a Transfer of Copyright to an Exclusive License to Publish (ELP) contributor form. When signing an ELP the author retains copyright to the work as a whole, but assigns to the journal exclusive rights to publish, license, use, translate, adapt and share the article. Even though the author retains copyright, they may not publish the work in any format (print, online, etc.), translate it into other languages, make new versions or adaptations, license or authorize others to use it or use it in collections or future works, as those rights are assigned to the journal. 

Human Factors and Ergonomics: A Vital Profession for Today and the Future

In their timely commentary recently published in Ergonomics, HFES members Drs. Mica Endsley and Farzan Sasangohar reaffirm the critical importance of HF/E in today’s technology-driven world. The article highlights the field’s well-established impact on safety, productivity and user-centered design across industries, while also addressing current challenges and the evolving role of HF/E—particularly in the context of AI and automation. The authors advocate for stronger integration of HF/E into education, regulation and practice to help bridge the gap between research and real-world application.

Science Policy Fellows Advocate for Human Factors Priorities on Capitol Hill

Recently, six members of HFES, including the 2024/5 Science Policy Fellows (SPF), convened in Washington, D.C., to promote federal support for human factors science on Capitol Hill. The fellows met with over a dozen congressional offices in both the House of Representatives and Senate to advocate for the importance of continued federal investments in health research and emerging technologies, as well as key human factors standards. 

Volunteers of the Month

The Leadership Development Committee Team: Amin Alhashim, Nancy Daraiseh, Gabriella Hancock, Liam Kettle and Rafael Patrick



Over the past two years, the Leadership Development Committee has developed or updated handbooks for: Technical Group leaders, student chapter leaders, Executive Council members/division chairs and committee chairs, with more underway. This work involved interviewing current and past leaders to identify gaps in onboarding information, followed by drafting and reviewing tailored handbooks. Final versions are now available on the HFES website.

A new leadership landing page and “EC Prep Academy” are set to launch soon, supporting members interested in executive roles. The committee also continues to run the Emerging Leaders program and recently completed its evaluation. Everyone on the Leadership Development Committee contributed to each of these activities and they deserve recognition for their efforts! 

Mike Rayo, PhD, Assistant Professor

The Ohio State University, College of Engineering, Cognitive Systems Engineering Lab

Mike has been the coordinator and driving force behind Inclusive HFE Day, and in years past, did most of the tasks necessary to hold such an event. This includes finding and approaching educational institutions, identifying student participants, acting as point person and coordinating students during the event and following up after the annual meeting. Without him, iHFE Day as it is today wouldn’t exist!

Atif Mohammed Ashraf Wins 2025 Dieter W. Jahns Student Award

Congratulations to Atif Mohammed Ashraf, a PhD student in the department of industrial and systems engineering at Texas A&M University, for winning the 2025 Dieter W. Jahns Student Award.

His major professors are Dr. S. Camille Peres and Dr. Farzan Sasangohar. The award and check will be presented to Atif during ASPIRE 2025. Atif’s project, “The Skip-Order-Action Framework: An Approach to Documenting and Analyzing Deviations in Petrochemical Facility Procedures,” analyzed how the persistent mismatch between prescribed procedures and actual practices in high-risk petrochemical facilities necessitates procedural adaptations to ensure effectiveness and prevent potential performance errors.

Apply for the HFES Emerging Leaders Program

We are pleased to announce the continuation of the Emerging Leaders program—an educational and mentoring opportunity where HFES members participate in the Executive Council meeting at ASPIRE. This program serves to develop leadership skills and connect participants with HFES Executive Council members to become future leaders in the field and the Society. The program brings two members to the Executive Council's fall meeting to view nonprofit governance in action and involves the selected individuals in the discussions at the table.

Apply for the Outstanding Student Chapter and Student Member with Honors Awards

Showcase your impact and achievements through two prestigious HFES opportunities.

Student Member with Honors Award: Recognizes exceptional student members who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and significant contributions to HFES or the HF/E field.

Outstanding Student Chapter Awards: Honors student chapters that show excellence and engagement across a range of activities. Chapters can apply for gold, silver or bronze recognition.

Deadline to apply: Thursday, July 31.

Call for Papers

Deadline Extended: Special Issue in Human Factors: Investigating the Human Factors of AI Use

This special issue aims to bring together the most current research investigating the implications of using AI for human performance and behavior across different HF/E fields. Theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions from all areas of HF/E are welcome. Topics of interest may include, but are not limited to:

• Effects of AI on cognitive performance and behavior.
• Benefits and potential unintended consequences of AI use on work performance and innovation.
• Organizational issues resulting from broader AI use in the workplace.
• Safety risks associated with AI use across HF/E domains.
• Ethical consideration of AI for the HF/E practice.

The deadline for submissions is extended to October 1.

Special Issue of Human Factors in Healthcare

HFES is seeking papers on user-centered design processes and/or clinical trials addressing human factors considerations with biometric data for a special issue in Human Factors in Healthcare. Novel interventions and programs have emerged from research teams interested in helping individual patients soundly interpret the data and apply the information to make decisions about their health and wellness goals in a meaningful way. This special issue plans to publish high-quality research or quality improvement studies that address similar interventions.

The deadline for submissions is July 1.

Deadline Extended — Special Section of Human Factors on Studying Vigilance: Methodological Issues in Sustained Attention Research



The Human Factors journal invites submissions for a special section on methodological challenges in vigilance research. This section explores methodological advances in measuring and applying vigilance research to real-world settings. Topics include theoretical and practical challenges, innovative laboratory and field methods and diverse approaches such as behavioral, neuroergonomic and computational techniques.

Please contact Jason McCarley for more information or questions.

The extended deadline for submissions is August 1.

Upcoming Meetings and Activities

Attention chapters, technical groups, affinity groups and beyond: HFES is pleased to post information concerning upcoming meetings, webinars or other events you wish to raise awareness about on our events listing page. We also will post meetings of allied societies provided they do not occur close to any HFES-organized activity.

Let us know about your meetings and other events. Email us at info@hfes.org.

Community Updates



HFES wants to promote the important achievements of our members in the biweekly Bulletin. Appropriate topics include research milestones or other significant achievements, professional accolades, awards or recognitions, promotions or new positions and similar professionally oriented topics.

STAY CONNECTED

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

Tel.: +1 (202) 367-1114, Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET | Fax: +1 (202) 367-2114 | E: info@hfes.org