Jackie Cha, an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Clemson University, has been selected to participate in the National Academy of Engineering's 2024 The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering Symposium.

The symposium is scheduled for Sept. 11-14 at the National Academies' Beckman Center in Irvine, Calif.

"I am honored and excited to participate in this symposium," Cha said. "I hope to immerse myself in cross-disciplinary dialogue to discuss the session topics. I hope to gain a deeper understanding and contribute to discussions on how humans - as a human factors and ergonomics engineer - will interact with future technology, especially within the Building the Future of AI and the Impending Revolution of the Digital Twin themes.

The symposium is reserved for engineers who are performing exceptional research and technical work in a variety of disciplines, according to a National Academy of Engineering press release. They will come together to share new techniques and approaches across fields, facilitate collaboration in engineering and build professional networks among the next generation of engineering leaders.

Cha was among 76 engineers from across the country selected as general participants for the 2024 symposium, with several others coming from leading organizations, including: national labs; private companies, such as Boeing, GE Aerospace and ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company; and higher education, such as Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Participants plan to explore four themes: Water-Air-Surface Connections for Indoor Microbiology and Health; Building the Future of AI; Understanding and Engineering Connections Between the Gut and the Brain; and The Impending Revolution of Digital Twin.

Kevin Taaffe, chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering at Clemson, said Cha's selection as a participant in the symposium is a testament to her qualifications and contributions to industrial engineering.
"Her innovative research and dedication to advancing engineering principles highlight her as a rising star among her peers," he said. "We are immensely proud of her achievements and confident in her continued impact on the engineering community."

Cha recently received a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to research how humans in the operating room and robots will team up. Her research focus within the field of human factors and ergonomics is on measuring human-robot/human-computer interactions, particularly in healthcare environments, to improve worker performance, safety, and system efficiency.

Her team investigates applications of novel technologies such as surgical robotic systems, robotic wearables, and AI-based decision support systems in clinical environments and the changes of physical and cognitive interactions between human teams and technology.

Cha began as an assistant professor at Clemson in 2021. She previously was a biomedical engineer with the Food and Drug Administration.

Cha holds a Bachelors of Science in Engineering and Masters of Science in Engineering, both in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan. She received a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Purdue University.

Anand Gramopadhye, dean of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, offered Cha his heartfelt congratulations on her selection.

"The National Academy of Engineering is a prestigious institution known for its leadership in advancing engineering practices and innovation," he said. "Jackie's selection for the symposium is a significant achievement, as it provides her with the opportunity to collaborate with other top engineers from across the country. This is a well-deserved opportunity for her."

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