Biography
Alan Hedge is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design (formerly Design and Environmental Analysis), Cornell University. His research and teaching activities focused on issues of design and workplace ergonomics as these affect the health, comfort and productivity of workers. His research themes included workstation design, computer ergonomics and carpal tunnel syndrome risk factors for workers, alternative keyboard and input system designs, the performance and health effects of postural strain, and the health and comfort impacts of various environmental stressors, such as the effects of indoor air quality effects on sick building syndrome complaints among office workers, and the effects of office lighting on eyestrain problems among computer workers. He has edited a book on Ergonomic Workplace Design for Health, Wellness, and Productivity, co-authored a book on Healthy Buildings, co-edited Advances in Ergonomics Modeling and Usability and also the Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods, published 41 book chapters, 82 peer-review journal articles and 170 refereed proceedings articles, 43 other conference proceedings, 15 technical reports, 13 legislative reports, 15 technical reports, and 159 additional conference presentations on ergonomics and related topics. He received the 2009 Oliver K. Hansen Outreach Award and the 2003 Alexander J. Williams Jr. Design Award from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society for "outstanding human factors contributions to the design of a major operational system".
His professional activities are extensive. He is a Certified Professional Ergonomist and a Chartered Ergonomist. He is a Fellow of 3 societies - the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (formerly the UK Ergonomics Society), and the International Ergonomics Association. He was a founding member of the International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ) and also was an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He has also been a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. He is on the editorial board of the journals Ergonomics, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Journal of Human Environment Systems, and the Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. He has also been on the editorial board of Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics, He is past president of the Environmental Psychology division of the International Association of Applied Psychology, and past chair of the Organizational Design and Management Technical Group of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the US/ISO TAG SC5 committee of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and the Work Environment technical group of the International Ergonomics Society (IEA). In 2011 he was appointed as the IEA Representative on Environmental Design.
Since 2012 he has been the Program Chair the for the National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition.
He is extensively cited in the national and international media and has appeared on several TV and radio programs, indeed a President of the International Ergonomics Association said "he is perhaps the most often cited ergonomist in the media".
(Note: Not accepting new students retired June 2019)
Research activities this year have focused on testing a new microclimate air conditioning system, ; on new ways of working including sit-stand working; on green ergonomics and health and comfort issues in LEED certtified buildings; on the impact of ergonomic office products on comfort and health including the ergonomic design of computer tablets, sit-stand workstations; environmental design factors that impact workplace creativity; and the benefits of a proactive ergonomics program.
I have started phased retirement so I only teach courses in the Fall semester.I strive for excellence in my teaching. In my 3510and 3500 level undergraduate classes not all of the material is the most fascinating content and with one of these classes being at 8:40 AM the 3500 class does not necessarily help in engaging students and interesting them in the topics covered. Nonetheless, I think that these courses are quite successful, and I try to keep it my course content as current as possible and I try to engage students in many different ways, for example, in 3510 I do this through pracical homework projects. My graduate 6520 class runs as a seminar series in which students learn how to reda and critique scientific articles, and assemble materials into a coherent literature review. In 6510 graduate students participate in a series of human factors exercises designed to illustrate the capabilities ad limitations of human information processing performance, and they work as a team on an ergonomics evaluation project, usually on an ergonomic product with a real-world client. I try to teach student the fundamental knowledge, skills, methods and applications necessary to be a proficient ergonomist in a real-world setting. I try to encourage them to formulate innovative solutions based on good science and practice. I see my role as that of bringing out the best in my students and guide them as they acquire greater competences.
DEA 3510: Human Factors: Ergonomics-Anthropometrics
DEA 3500: Human Factors: the Ambient Environment
DEA 9990: Thesis (PhD)
DEA 6510: Human Factors: Ergonomics-Anthropometrics
DEA 6520: Human Factors: the Ambient Environment
Hedge, A. and Nou, D. (2018) "Effects of electrochromic glass on computer vision syndrome". Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 62(1), 378-382, Oct. 1-5.
Sun, Y., Celikors, E., Villacreces, P., Misailedes, E., Schatz, M., Kim, J., Shi,Y.L.Z., Gao, Y., Sun, J., Misailedes, E., Zhang, J., Kar, G. and Hedge, A. (2018) "Effects of a dynamic foot movement device on cognitive performance in short-duration computer- based tasks". Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 62 (1), 369-372, Oct. 1-5.
Atkinson Center for Sustainable Futures Faculty Fellow
Fellow, The Institute for Human Factors and Ergonomics (formerly the UK Ergonomics Society)
Fellow, The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Fellow, International Ergonomics AssociationEnvironmental Design Representative, International Ergonomics Association
Founding Member, International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate
Certified Professional Ergonomist (BCPE)
Chartered Ergonomist (UK)
Editorial board, Ergonomics
Editorial Board, Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics
Editorial Board, Journal of Environmental Psychology
Editorial Board, Work
Editorial Board, International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics,
Editorial board, The Open Ergonomics Journal
Editorial board, SpineUniverse (website)
Editorial board, HealthyComputing (website)
Department Safety Representative
1979, Ph.D., Cognitive Psychology, University of Sheffield
1972, M.S., Applied Psychology, Aston University
1971, M.S., Zoology, University of Sheffield
1970, B.S. (1st class special honors), Zoology, University of Sheffield