Kathryn Tippey, a Ph.D. graduate of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University, was selected to receive the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Association Outstanding Student Researcher award for her work in investigating human factors of weather technologies in the general aviation cockpit.
The award recognizes her work on an on-going project with the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) while completing her Ph.D. under Dr. Tom Ferris. The duo worked with the FAA under the Partnership for Enhanced General Aviation Safety and Sustainability (PEGASAS).
“Katie’s contributions to this project went far beyond that of a usual research assistant,” Ferris said. “She travelled to research sites, made important design decisions and coordinated with several parallel research activities that were necessary to get the project off the ground.”
Tippey graduated with her Ph.D. in August 2016 and is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for Research and Innovation in Systems Safety at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“The research involved the display, size and orientation, as well as the use of vibrotactile alerts in general aviation cockpits,” Tippey said. “My intent is to work with the research and development of new treatment aids and devices for helping manage disease, particularly chronic illnesses.”
Tippey will be honored as the sole recipient of this award at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting in January.
“Katie’s recognition is well-deserved,” Ferris said. “It was a joy to work with her as an adviser and I am excited for the additional opportunities for both Katie and I that stem from being recognized for this award.”