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The most daunting question of any graduate student may be the decision to pursue an academic or industry career path. Considering the capabilities of a HF/E graduates, both options can provide a very fulfilling career. However, making this decision can have lifelong ramifications resulting in potential anxiety. This discussion panel is aimed at assisting those currently embedded in this decision. Interactive discussions will include what is expected of recent graduates in these careers paths, how one tailors their graduate careers, and how one might determine best career fit.

The need for trained Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) professionals has increased remarkably over the last few years. The skill sets these professionals need to have vary by industry and changes over time. However, current employers of HF/E new-hires have repeatedly indicated that students are not getting sufficient training and preparation for their positions. This panel will present a case study of how a newly developed program integrated the needs of industry into the academic requirements of the program. Further, the question and discussion part of the panel session will focus on developing a guideline for other programs to utilize to integrate the needs of industry into their academic programs.

BACKGROUND There are many effective methods for decreasing the likelihood of repetitive strain injury (RSI) for those who work at a computer in an office environment. This study is focused on the highly repetitive task of interpreting seismic data. The skilled geoscientists who perform this work are very well compensated, and their work is vital to the success of the oil company. However, RSIs are still occurring in situations where effective methods of mitigating injuries have been successfully implemented and this has been occurring very frequently for geoscientists. This suggests that there are other elements contributing to the development of these injuries and one element could be the software interaction design. However, it is difficult for software designers to determine this because most measures associated with muscle activity require expensive data collection methods. OBJECTIVE This paper describes research conducted to determine if survey-based subjective measures might be used to assess the potential for RSI for software programs. METHODS In laboratory and field settings, data were collected using three different survey instruments (NASA-Task Load Index, Latko's Busiest Hand Activity Level Scale, and the Borg CR10 Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale) and conventional measures of muscle activity (sEMG). Correlations between the surveys and muscle activity were then calculated. RESULTS For both the laboratory and the field, people were able to provide reliable self-report information related to their muscle activity. However, the effect sizes were not large. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that self-report tools could be utilized to identify software interaction designs related associated with risks of RSI.

Abstract Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) negatively impacts the health and productivity of individuals and corporations. In 2006 the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported that Repetitive Strain Injuries accounted for 30% of total workplace injuries and illnesses in America. RSI burdens American employers with annual costs as high as twenty billion dollars [2]. Many companies operate internal programs that attempt to mitigate the risk of RSI to improve the health and well being of their employees. Existing corporate programs typically focus on physical workstation set up and mechanisms that assist workers to take breaks at regular intervals. These strategies can be successful but they require active participation from workers to be effective and they do not examine one of the fundamental activities users perform while sitting at a computer, which is interacting with computer software. ExxonMobil1, Schlumberger, University of Houston-Clear Lake and Rice University have joined efforts to develop tools that can be used to measure and understand computer software's impact on the incidents of RSI. One of our primary goals is to create a short survey that measures software's potential impact on RSI. When companies are considering purchasing software, decision makers can use the survey measurements as part of their efforts to manage and mitigate the risk of RSI more effectively. Companies that design software for internal or external distribution can also make use of this information to design software that is more ergonomic. Introduction: Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD) and/or Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) result from micro-traumas, that, if taken one by one, would not result in a noticeable injury, but when these micro-traumas occur repeatedly over short periods of time, their cumulative effect can result in an injury [1]. A micro-trauma could be someone having direct contact with a hard surface. This hard surface can put pressure on a variety of body parts including nerves, tendons, muscles, and may also interfere with blood flow. Another example is when someone holds his or her hand in an awkward position for an extended period of time. This static posture puts strain on the nerves, muscles, and tendons. The likelihood of injury increases significantly if the micro-traumas go untreated or people do not rest between the micro-traumas. Other factors that may lead to injuries may also include environmental factors, repetition, and forceful muscle exertion.