Psychology and Human Factors News

KCP Future Faculty Fellowship Award – Tim Raymond

Published October 13, 2022

The Michigan Tech Graduate School has announced that ACSHF MS student Tim Raymond is the recipient of a King-Chávez-Parks (KCP) Future Faculty Fellowship for academic year 2022-2023. Tim explains how he first became interested in teaching through his involvement in martial arts classes in his early teens. His passion grew from there and he continues to pursue and define his knowledge of teaching through education and real-world experiences.

Ever since my early teen years I have been involved in teaching. At 13 years of age I was leading martial arts classes for even younger students. Although the techniques were still quite rudimentary, I found a passion within teaching that has continued to evolve. My teacher as he taught me had enough insight into how much I enjoyed teaching that he began to teach me how to teach. Instead of just throwing concepts or techniques at me, he made sure I understood them all at a deeper level with the intention I continue teaching them.

I can’t say that academia has always been a major concern for me. Due to unforeseeable reasons, I dropped out of high school when I was 17 years old to help out with the family business. I never thought I would return to a school setting but after many bumps in the road, I eventually found my way back.

The most amazing part about being an educator or at least aspiring to be one is that we are continuously humbled every day through our interactions with colleagues and people above us. These interactions can lead us to new and unique paths that we would have never imagined. My time here at MTU has brought me to psychology and eventually grad school where under my current advisor, Elizabeth Veinott, I have recently been exposed to research regarding the railroad industry.

While on this new journey through academia I have been able to find ways to combine the knowledge I am receiving from Michigan Tech with my knowledge of the ‘real-world’ and I endeavor daily to become an educator that teaches not just the concepts or ideas but how we can use them within industry and alongside our daily lives.

Social Connections & Mental Well-being

Published October 7, 2022

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Scrapbook page with polaroid photos of friends.

Research has found that having social support plays a vital role in mental health, so building a network that includes family, platonic friends, and other loved ones can be important for our overall wellness. [American Psychological Association. Manage stress: strengthen your support network.]

But before we get into the ways a strong social network promotes health and well-being, it’s important to point out that not all relationships are equal. Just like you can make unhealthy choices around diet and exercise, you can certainly make unhealthy choices when it comes to your friendships and relationships.

This August, CLS welcomed Destaney Sauls, visiting assistant teaching professor from Oakland University. Destaney’s research interests include ways that individual differences shape our interpersonal interactions. Specifically, her focus is on how personality traits (e.g., narcissism or narcissistic traits) shape and are shaped by different sustained interpersonal interactions (e.g., platonic friendships). With over 30 journal articles and conference presentations on the subject of narcissism and social connection, we tapped into Sauls’ knowledge on the subject in the days leading up to October—Mental Health Awareness month.

Joining us in the conversation is Amber Bennett, CLS adjunct assistant professor. Amber is a licensed master social worker in the State of Michigan and a mental health professional at the Copper Country Intermediate School District. Her teaching experience includes Psychology of Trauma and Abnormal Psychology.

Now let’s jump in . . .

[Sauls]

Q. From your research experience, what have you found is the connection between friendship, social interaction and overall health and well being, and why should we be aware of its significance?

A. I think it is pretty easy to overlook our friends and how important they can be. We have quite a lot of friends over the course of our lives, but their rules and their roles, even how they start and how they end, tend to be a lot less clearly defined than in other kinds of relationships. I actually think we might be unappreciative of our friends, simply because we have so many! I think that tends to make them a little less “flashy” than other kinds of relationships, even though they are just as important.

From an evolutionary perspective, friendships don’t always make a ton of sense – why are we so inclined to invest significant amounts of time and resources into a relationship with someone we’re not related to, when we’re not clearly getting something out of it?

But it’s the fact that it doesn’t make sense to invest in an unimportant relationship that means that friendships have to be important. But it probably isn’t one single thing that makes our friends important – it’s the combination of benefits.

Friends do provide a lot of tangible benefits – they provide support when we need it, whether that be emotional, mental, or physical. People with good friends typically have better outcomes – they’re happier, more stable, and in some cases even physically healthier. Some work even suggests that people with good friends might have better immune systems and better life expectancy. Our friends make us feel good, and they really seem to be good for us in a lot of ways.

But unfortunately, the opposite is also true. A lack of friends, or a lack of social connections, appears to be really detrimental, especially for our own sense of mental well-being. We knew this, of course, but it became really obvious in the Covid-19 pandemic when we really needed to be more isolated from each other. If you look up “social isolation” you will probably find a lot of articles talking about the Covid-19 pandemic and the well-being of isolated people. They’ll talk about protective factors – for example, things like physical exercise seemed to lessen the impact of being cut off from our social relationships, but the conclusion seems to be that social isolation is extremely detrimental, especially to our mental health. Even being isolated for as little as a couple of weeks seemed to impact our mental health in some pretty harsh ways. Friends, and social connections generally, are really good for your health, but I would be remiss not to mention how detrimental a lack of these relationships may be.

Q. What do you feel is the definition of friendship?

A. This is actually a somewhat complicated question! In the world of research, it is important to have a clear definition of different terms, but the problem with a word like “friendship” is that it can be so personal – so easily influenced by our experiences and personal perspectives. Hruschka, who has contributed some really interesting ideas to the friendship literature, defined friendships as “long-term relationships of mutual affection and support”. For the purposes of my own research, I typically say something long-winded and specific about what a friend is, like “a friend should be defined as someone with which we share a close, platonic, pleasant, sustained, and voluntary relationship – and someone to whom we may be consistently loyal or committed”. That’s definitely a mouthful just to say what a friend is! But you have to be specific in research – what I really think is important is that “voluntary” piece of the relationship. Friendships are special, and I think a big part of that is that you choose your friends. Why did you choose them? Because you love them. I don’t know if it always has to be more complicated than that.

Q. What are some indicators that a friend may have narcissistic traits?

A. Narcissistic individuals tend to believe they are the most “special” person in a room, and depending on the “kind” of narcissism, this can mean they are going to try and convince their friends to lift them up, or they are going to try and tear their friends down. Either way, narcissistic individuals in a friendship tend to be trying to get something out of it. They prefer friendships that offer avenues to things like power, or influence. But the good news is that most of the time, it does look like the people they are interacting with do get a sense of something being “not quite right” and they do tend to react accordingly.

Q. How can a friendship with a narcissist affect our mental well-being?

A. Friendships with narcissistic individuals tend not to end well. They are often very charming at first, but some research suggests it only takes a handful of short meetings for their interaction partners to begin to dislike them. It’s possible this is at least partly because of how the narcissistic individual acts in the relationship – they tend to try and boost themselves up, and this can often mean they derogate others, or engage in inappropriate self-promotion, or even become aggressive when they feel that their status is threatened. For the vast majority of people, friendships with narcissistic individuals probably end fairly quickly, likely because these friendships tend to be fairly unpleasant.

Interestingly, the people who might get along with a narcissistic individual the best might be other narcissistic individuals! Research around friendships suggests that we really like friends who are similar to us, even in terms of personality traits like narcissistic traits. They appear to recognize, at least on some level, the similarity in their traits and are able to at least tolerate them.

Q. How is social media influencing our social connections and friendships?

A. I actually think social media use is unfairly stigmatized, especially for younger generations. We can’t really expect something like friendships on social media to behave in exactly the same way that friendship might in real life, but I don’t think this necessarily makes them “bad” or “less than” in-person friendships. There are some issues with social media – it is pretty easy to curate an image online that is very different from who you actually are, and it is even easier to add “friends” that you have no real connection to.

However, there is also a good chance that social media presents unique opportunities to connect with people in a way that we don’t really fully understand. The Internet and social media are still so new in terms of our evolutionary history that we just don’t really know how they are going to impact us in the long run, but the fact of the matter is they are probably here to stay. I think instead of villainizing social media and the Internet, we should instead recognize it for the tool that it is. Is every friendship online going to be absolutely worthwhile, or even comparable to in-person friendships? Maybe not! But at least some of them might be.

Some researchers have argued that social media is simply changing the way we form social networks, but it is not necessarily making them worse – there does appear to be an upper limit to how many meaningful social relationships we can maintain, and that appears to be about 100 to 150. Social media isn’t going to change that, but what it has changed is the sheer amount of options that we have for those social connections. Historically, we have been pretty limited in our options for social relationships simply because we needed a certain amount of physical proximity. Now, if you want to have a best friend that lives on the other side of the world, it is pretty easy to do so. Some work suggests that this might be leading to a kind of “customized sociality” where there is more of an individualized social network centered around the individual.

It’s easy to see social media and think it has a lot of “cheap” or “shallow” relationships, and to a certain extent that might even be true. But it certainly is not all that social media and friendships can be, and I think this is really a tool that we need to be making the most of. And that will probably start with a focus on the quality of our online relationships, which can be difficult when we are so often focused on the quantity.

Q. How can we take our relationships to the next level? What tips would you like to share for forming and keeping healthy friendships/relationships?

A. As adults, we probably need to dedicate more time to the maintenance of our friendships. Friendships, especially their beginning and end, can be “fuzzy”. This makes the consequences of not putting work into your friendships hard to spot, even though there are definitely consequences. Sometimes it is difficult to dedicate resources to those friendships that are worth maintaining, while letting go of those that just aren’t. In the research world, you’ll hear people refer to “tend and befriend” – if we want to really foster good relationships, it is incredibly important that we don’t neglect that “tend” part. In the busy chaos of our everyday lives, it can be easy to think that the message you’ve been meaning to send to your friend but haven’t quite gotten to it yet isn’t a big deal. But the little things might be more important than you realize, because suddenly you might look up and realize you haven’t spoken to that friend in a year. Put work into your friends. Especially the people who love you enough to put work into you.

Q. How can a person find and make new friends as an adult?

A. It can be really difficult to make good friends, especially as an adult. When we’re younger, we tend to have a lot more “ready made” friend groups – our classes, our teams, etc. When we get older, those easy friendships tend to be harder to come by, but unfortunately our friendships don’t become any less important. I think the best advice that I can give is to find people who have similar interests and try to build a relationship step-by-step. Don’t force it – that’s when things get a little uncomfortable. But trust yourself. You’ve made friends before, you have friends now, and you know what kind of friends you like even if you don’t really think about it that explicitly most of the time. Be open to friendships, and I would say to even pursue them and put work into them. Let them form naturally and those will be your best relationships. Find reasons to interact with people – especially reasons that you enjoy, like a hobby, etc. – the rest will work itself out.

[Bennett]

Q. Some say our experiences of connection or disconnection are deterministic—predicted by our previous experiences of connection. How does our personal baggage affect our relationships?

A. Human connection is a fundamental aspect of our health, well-being, and overall quality of life. While there are documented cases of individuals who live in solitude, as humans we are hard-wired to seek out companionship. In fact, interacting with others is inherent to our ability to survive – physically, socially, and emotionally. It may seem as though relationships should be easy by virtue of them being so critical to our existence. Yet, I would argue that interacting with others is amongst the most challenging aspects of our daily lives. Relationships are hard because they are complicated. We are not simple creatures, and we tend to bring the history of our past relationships into our current ones.

Our sense of belonging and connection – or relationship – with those around us is largely influenced by our history of bonding with our primary caregivers and then later in life by experiences with our peers. Yet, these experiences are not always positive or healthy representations of relationships. These early memories influence our conceptualization of connection and often lead to similar behaviors with others as we grow and mature. In order to shift to a healthier approach we must recognize what was first modeled for us, be aware of what we have experienced within our own history of connection with others, and be willing to take ownership of and action in shifting the role we play in our current relationships. Again, easier said than done. However, setting healthy boundaries for ourselves, establishing open and honest communication, and remaining our authentic selves can set the stage for improving our connections with others.

This story has been written in recognition of World Mental Health Day, October 10, 2022. The faculty and staff of Cognitive and Learning Sciences at Michigan Tech extends compassion to all who have experienced the darkness of mental health issues, whether it be with ourselves or through our loved ones. Let’s shine our light on the subject. Let’s find and use the tools we have available—even if it is just our own breath, or a friendly smile. Let’s “Make mental health for all a global priority”.

Resources shared by Amber Bennett

Films

Brené Brown: The Call to Courage (2019) available on Netflix

Podcasts (links in Spotify)

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Super Soul with Oprah Winfrey

Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle

Books

I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t): Making the Journey from What Will People Think to I Am Enough (2007) by Brené Brown

Daring Greatly (2012) Brené Brown

Braving the Wilderness (2017) by Brené Brown

Untamed (2020) by Glennon Doyle

–

University resources

Center for Student Mental Health and Well-being

www.myssp.app

ACSHF Forum: Cindy Sifonis

Published September 30, 2022

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The Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences will host speaker Cindy Sifonis (Oakland University) at the next Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors forum. The presentation, “Meatspace and Cyberspace: How humans and avatars dress affect their interactions and behavior with others.”, will be from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Monday (October 3) via Zoom.

Abstract: Research has shown that what clothes we wear affects the way that we feel about ourselves and how we behave with others. This is also true for gamers. Player’s avatars also affect how players feel about themselves and how they interact with others. This presentation will begin with discussing enclothed cognition (how one dresses, affects behavior). This will follow by examining how gaming avatars affect the behaviors of the player when playing in video games, mainly multiplayers and MMOs.

ACSHF Forum: Kelly Steelman, CLS chair

Published September 16, 2022

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Kelly Steelman, chair of the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences will kick off the academic year forums for Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors with her presentation, “Science Policy in Human Factors: A Primer on the Development and Application of the Human Readiness Level Scale”, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Monday (September 19) in Meese 109 and via Zoom.

As a Science Policy Fellow for the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), Steelman will talk about the work of the Science Policy group over the past several years, focusing on the development of the Human Readiness Level (HRL) Scale—a simple 9-level scale for evaluating, tracking,and communicating the readiness of a technology for safe and effective human use.

Complete abstract:
In 2019, Dr. Kelly Steelman was selected as a Science Policy Fellow for the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. In this presentation, Steelman will talk about the work of the Science Policy group over the past several years, focusing on the development of the Human Readiness Level (HRL) Scale—a simple 9-level scale for evaluating, tracking, and communicating the readiness of a technology for safe and effective human use. It is modeled after the well-established Technology Readiness Level (TRL) framework that is used throughout the government and industry to communicate the maturity of a technology and to support decision making about technology acquisition. The HRL scale is defined in the ANSI/HFES 400-2021 Standard and is currently being socialized throughout the government, Department of Defense, and industry.
Dr. Steelman will discuss the promise of the HRL Scale and associated standard as tools for increasing awareness of the field of human factors and for establishing requirements for human-systems evaluation—and the involvement of human-systems experts—throughout the development lifecycle.

Alumni Spotlight: Zoe Reep

Published September 9, 2022

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Today we are chatting with Zoe Reep, recent Michigan Tech grad who earned her bachelor’s of science in Psychology and Mathematics in spring 2022. This fall she begins her post graduate studies in Clinical/Counseling Social Work at Boston College.

Zoe describes herself as a person who lives with intention and makes decisions—big and small—based on purpose. It is no surprise that she filled her summer “break” with activities and adventures that align with her curiosity and passion for the great outdoors. Let’s let Zoe unpack the details and give us a glimpse of what her purpose-filled living is all about.

Q: We last saw you in late April as your undergrad time at Michigan Tech was ending and your next adventure was about to begin. Where and how did you spend your summer after finishing your bachelor’s degrees?

A: For most of the summer, I split my time working with Michigan Tech’s Outdoor Adventure Program and a local screen-printing shop in Calumet called Monkey Business. I focused on my interests and explored new hobbies such as embroidery, sewing, kombucha brewing, gardening, puzzling, reading, and fly fishing. I also experienced #vanlife and used it as my temporary home for the first couple months. As summer went on, I wanted to do something even more physically and emotionally challenging. Within two-weeks I doubled my paychecks—working 14-16-hour days—packed up my things and hitched a ride out to Colorado with some friends.

The long workdays and foregone sleep to fund my trip was totally worth it! I spent the next 35 days hiking the Colorado Trail, a 486.6 mile trek. It was absolutely incredible and definitely life changing as I met people from all over the country and around the world. Some moments were tough, and sometimes dark, and other times I cried of joy. The experience taught me to be resilient, I even managed to make myself a splint in order to get down the mountains with a leg injury. The views were insane, the hikes were brutal, and the weather was not cooperative—we hiked through many, many thunderstorms.

Photos of the Colorado Trail with mountains

For those who don’t know about the Colorado Trail, it runs from Denver, CO to Durango, CO, has an elevation gain of 75,000 feet (more than twice the height of Mount Everest), 8 national forests, and 16 mountain passages. Most people who hike the trail as a thru-hike go into town every 3-5 days. For example, I stopped in Breckenridge, Twin Lakes/Leadville, Garfield/Salida, Lake City, and Durango. Most hitchhike to get into town. We definitely came across some interesting characters this way, and even got to ride in a semi-truck!.

Some people stay overnight in town, as we did, and others just resupply and head on their way. I hiked the first half of the trail with some friends I met—a couple from Boston (now moving to California, sadly), and a hiker from South Dakota. One friend from Michigan Tech joined us along the way; the poor guy hiked the worst part—40 miles with 3 water sources, rocky roads and cow pastures, including a decaying cow on the trail. We separated paths from the Boston couple but I’ve been with the hiker, Russ, ever since. We finished the remaining trail route and road tripped it back through Houghton, Petoskey, Grand Rapids, Louisville, Dayton, Cleveland, Niagara, arriving in Boston. In fact, Russ will be moving out to Boston now! 🙂 Overall…summer was wild—and a blast. I documented a lot of it on my “adventure” Instagram account, which I created for my friends who wanted to laugh about my amusing life @2rav4u.

Q: You were part of Dr. Samantha Smith’s Nature Psychology class at Michigan Tech this spring. Were there any takeaways from the course that helped you make the connection between wellness, resilience, and nature?

A: Great question! I took Nature Psych because it dealt with exactly what I wanted to move into post-graduate. So it didn’t really change my direction. However, it definitely created a lot more questions and curiosity for me. It helped me determine that this is exactly the field I want to go into. It gave me all sorts of fantastic connections and brought up a lot of passion for me. It helped me to connect with the local community and gave me tons of resources (in regard to social issues, the role of nature on the mind, local UP history, etc.). Dr. Smith is an incredible professor—I’ve learned a lot from her. I also admire who she is as a human being, which really ties the whole class together: Her curiosity, passions, knowledge, heart, etc. Highly recommend the course 🙂 Absolutely.

Photos of Zoe and her dog Murphy on the Colorado Trail.

Q: You’ve had a four-legged friend along the way. What’s her name and how did she become your travel companion?

A: Murphy is my recently adopted doggo. Her trail names are Wags—because her tail is cropped and is always wagging, uncontrollably. And Bumper—she hiked with a backpack and when she wanted to pass someone on the trail, she would keep bumping them with her pack until they made room for her to pass. I’ve had her for about 7 months, adopting her the day before my birthday. She’s loved by everyone who interacts with her. Here at Boston College, she has already strutted through one of my classes, gotten affection from all over campus, and explored the campus store and buildings. She is very calm and goofy, so she seems to get into any place she wants (i.e. places that don’t allow dogs). Funny, I almost didn’t take her home with me, but I knew I couldn’t end the day without adopting a dog so we became a pair. I was hoping that she would become my trail dog— running, biking, backpacking, etc.—and an unregistered emotional support animal. She has taken on both roles. I am currently planning to certify her as a therapy or facilities dog.

Q: What field of practice will you be focusing on for your post graduate studies and how does this align with your purpose?

A: I am really interested in Wilderness Therapy. I’m toying with the idea of pursuing a PhD in this realm or becoming a Wilderness Therapy practitioner. I think there is a lot of research still to be done in this field and I’m super excited to help pave the way to a more effective and safe way to use nature to heal.

Nature has been a huge source of healing for me—through coping with anxiety, depression, seasonal affective disorder, and disordered eating. It has taught me a lot about the way my mind works (stressors, relaxers, etc), encouraging me to love my body and mind for the work that it can do (thinking, running, etc), and has strengthened my characteristics such as confidence, creativity, emotional regulation, etc.

At Boston College, I will be working toward my Masters in Social Work. I am currently taking four classes and will be starting a field placement as a middle-school counselor. The school just received a therapy dog, so I hope to bring Murphy in as well. I also have a part-time job at a rock climbing gym teaching youth classes and covering the front desk. Why rock climbing? After spending last summer as a wilderness therapy guide, I learned how effective rock climbing is when working on skills such as emotional regulation, confidence, anxiety reduction, teamwork/trust, etc. It is all very interconnected.

Read more about Dr. Smith’s Nature Psychology course and other related stories in the links below.

Brandon Woolman presents research findings at MI Society for Neuroscience

Published August 29, 2022

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Photo of ACSHF MS student Brandon Woolman

Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) MS student Brandon Woolman presented his team’s research findings during the Michigan Chapter Society for Neuroscience at Central Michigan University on August 20.

Woolman’s, along with teammates Alexandra Watral (ACSHF PhD candidate), Rajiv Ranganathan (Kinesiology, Michigan State University), and advisor Dr. Kevin Trewartha, research titled “Sensorimotor Adaptation and Retention in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early Alzheimer’s Disease,” is made possible by grant funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIH).

The study included preliminary data from participants diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), and control groups of cognitively healthy older and younger adults. All of which performed a force-field adaption task using a specialized robotic device (KINARM). The team investigated whether the early stages of motor learning are affected by early AD, and whether those patients exhibit additional impairments in short-term (i.e., within the testing session) and long-term retention (after a 24-hour delay) of a newly acquired motor skill.

Participants were instructed to reach for visual targets, and while their arms moved, the robot would apply a velocity-dependent force perpendicular to the direction of the target. The mechanical load hinders smooth movements toward the target, but over time participants
adapt by applying forces to counter the load. Short-term retention of force-field adaption was assessed in a final block of trials on Day 1. Participants returned a day later to perform the same motor task to assess long-term skill retention over a 24-hour delay.

The work aims to determine whether acquisition, short- and long-term retention measures in a motor learning task, can identify differences between early AD and healthy aging. Measuring these differences could aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease in its earliest stages.

For more information and details on related research, see Dr. Trewartha’s Aging Cognition Action Lab website.

Erich Petushek ranks in top 100 most impactful articles on the ACL

Published August 3, 2022

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Photo of Erich Petushek, CLS assistant professor

Erich Petushek (CLS) and co-authors received high rankings in The top 100 most impactful articles on the anterior cruciate ligament: an altmetric analysis of online media, recently released by SAGE Open Medicine.

Petushek’s article “Evidence-Based Best-Practice Guidelines for Preventing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Young Female Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine and has been ranked #16 as measured by the Altmetric Attention Score (AAS). Altmetric tracks the type and volume of online engagement the research has received since published.

The purpose of the research was to evaluate the common and effective components included in Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) neuromuscular training (NMT) programs and develop an efficient, user-friendly tool to assess the quality of the injury prevention programs. This was accomplished by using meta-analytic techniques to develop an easy to use checklist—a human factors tool—to evaluate the effectiveness of ACL injury prevention programming. The article’s AAS was 380 at the time the ranking was conducted in January 2022.

Clinicians, coaches, athletes, parents, and practitioners can use the developed checklist tool to gain insight into the quality of their current injury prevention programs and optimize their programming for future ACL NMT to reduce injury risk.

Erich is an assistant professor in the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences and a member of the Health Research Institute at Michigan Tech.

Briana Bettin Wins Best Paper Award at ITiCSE ’22

Published July 27, 2022

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A paper by Briana Bettin, Assistant Professor (CS / CLS), received Best Paper Award at the 27th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE ’22), held July 8-13, 2022, in Dublin, Ireland.

The title of the paper is, “Semaphore or Metaphor?: Exploring Concurrent Students’ Conceptions of and with Analogy.” Co-authors are Linda Ott (CS) and Julia Hiebel. The paper is published in the conference proceedings.

Paper Abstract: Concurrent programming can be a rewarding but challenging topic for computing students. Comprehending concurrency can help students gain a better understanding of the computer as a machine, and how processes within modern machines execute and interact. Knowledge of concurrency is important to develop secure and robust multithreaded programs. However, understanding this topic at a machine and syntactic level can be difficult for students due to its novelty and complexity. Several topics in concurrent computing can initially be explored at a high-level using real-world examples and analogies to facilitate comprehension. This paper explores perspectives provided by university students in a concurrent programming course on the use of analogy to facilitate learning about concurrent topics. Through this paper, we draw attention to analogies used in course examples and assignment prompts, while turning attention to how students interpret and reason about and with these. We also explore new analogies these students crafted while reasoning about the problem space. This exploration suggests that while these students may draw attention to different aspects (in different ways) of an analogy’s design, they generally approach similar conclusions in their reasoning process provided the core relational design remains intact. Students also applied prior analogies from lecture and past assignments, actively reasoning during problem solving with these known examples. There is also some evidence of analogy mixing and swapping, suggesting malleability in analogy use while problem solving. Together, this exploration contributes to understanding student problem solving, reasoning behaviors, and perspectives while using analogy within concurrent computing courses.

Paper Citation: Briana Bettin, Linda Ott, and Julia Hiebel. 2022. Semaphore or Metaphor? Exploring Concurrent Students’ Conceptions of and with Analogy. In Proceedings of the 27th ACM Conference on on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Vol. 1 (ITiCSE ’22). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 200–206. https://doi.org/10.1145/3502718.3524796

Alumni Spotlight: Emilee (Philson) Stanczyk

Published July 18, 2022

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Minoring in Psychology at Michigan Tech led me to find and obtain my dream job. I never knew that I could combine engineering and psychology and turn it into a career. My minor helped me understand how people think and behave, feeding into my work on medical devices that are used by various groups of people. It has also taught me how to interact with diverse personalities and perspectives, serve clients in a global market, and lead my employees toward success. I would not have the career that I have today without my Psychology minor.
Emilee (Philson) Stanczyk, Managing Human Factors Specialist at Emergo by UL

Michigan Tech alumna, Emilee (Philson) Stanczyk had a strong interest in medical technology when she started Michigan Tech in 2012, and knew she wanted to use her math and science skills for medical innovation. As she explored career options within biomedical engineering, she realized that before you design and develop medical technology, you have to first understand who your users are—what they want and need and how they think and work. That prompted her to add a minor in psychology to her education, opening up a wide variety of career opportunities in the field of Human Factors Engineering. “I quickly discovered that Human Factors is highly regulated in the medical device field and would enable me to use my biomedical engineering skills to develop products specifically for their intended users,” said Stanczyk.

This past week we got a chance to catch up with Emilee and hear how her life after Michigan Tech has been going so far in this alumni Q&A.

Q: With Alumni Reunion 2022 right around the corner (August 4-6), we’d love for you to reflect back and tell us why you decided on Michigan Tech for your undergraduate studies?

A: I knew that I wanted to major in Biomedical Engineering, so I started with schools in my home state of Michigan that offered the major. I was looking for a school that was big enough to have lots of opportunities for me to begin my career and get involved in student organizations, but small enough for me to make connections with my peers and professors. Michigan Tech was that happy medium. Although all of that was what drew me to look at Michigan Tech, it was my first visit to campus that really “sold” me. The campus itself is beautiful but the surrounding area was like no other place I had lived before, and I just knew it was where I would spend my undergraduate years.

Q: You have recently been promoted to Managing Human Factors Specialist at Emergo by UL. What does an average day at work look like for you?

A: In short, every day is different! A lot of my work consists of usability testing where I conduct sessions with representative users who use devices in development so that I can assess if the device is safe to use. This could mean I’m working with surgeons to evaluate a new surgical robotic system, or patients who have a skin condition to evaluate a new injection device. Other projects involve working with clients—medical device manufacturers—to advise them on regulatory strategy, often navigating FDA’s Human Factors requirements for marketing a medical device. In addition to my project work, I serve as a manager to a team of human factors specialists and help guide and mentor them.

Q: It’s evident that you are passionate about your work. Can you tell us a bit more as to why?

A: Knowing that my work impacts individuals on a daily basis is meaningful and is why I do what I do. I know that at some point in my life, I or someone I love, might need to use a medical device, and taking the time to design the devices intentionally, such that they can be used safely and effectively, is so vital in today’s world.

Q: Looking back, can you tell us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way?

A: My biggest lesson I have learned so far in my career is not to dwell on mistakes. Sometimes a failure seems like the worst thing that could happen in the moment. But often times, dwelling on the mistake is worse than the actual mistake. Accept that mistakes are learning opportunities and although you can’t change the past, you can use it to transform your future.

Q: What do you see for the future of Human Factors?

A: The field of Human Factors is growing and growing and has never been so important in our society. As technology advances and becomes more widely available, implementing Human Factors into product design—both medical and non-medical—will be imperative to safe and effective use. I see the field growing and more and more jobs becoming available.

Q: You have been of service as a student mentor through the Women’s Leadership Institute and The Chapel Student Ministry. What is the top advice you give to young students deciding on their future education and career?

A: Find what you’re passionate about and what motivates you. Although your career will often be challenging and hard work, it should be something you enjoy doing. Find your “why” for why you enjoy something and use it as your driving motivation to move forward and work toward a goal. Finally, don’t be afraid to change your mind. Life is too short to have a career you don’t love. Go after what you want and make it happen!

Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your career in the human factors field so far?

A: The most rewarding part was during one of my usability tests. I was working with a patient who had a rare disease—one that limited her life expectancy to a relatively young age. During the session, the patient got emotional talking about her disease and how it has negatively impacted her life. After hearing stories about her experience, we got to talk about how the device in development we were assessing would greatly improve her day-to-day activities and overall lifestyle. She thanked me for the work I was doing and was so appreciative that her needs as a patient were being considered. It was very rewarding to hear first-hand the impact my work would have on that patient population.

Another really rewarding experience was getting to travel to Shanghai, China for a usability test where we were interested in learning how the different techniques taught in medical school in the US and in China might impact the way surgeons use a surgical stapler. It was my first time visiting China, and I really enjoyed that cultural experience as part of my job.

Q: With a background in psychology, you understand the importance of self care. What are some ways you incorporate it into your life?

A: The most important self-care tip I can relay is to set boundaries. I work in a hybrid model where I spend some days in the office and some at home. In today’s modern world, I am usually accessible via phone or email at all times. It’s important for me to set boundaries on my work email and make sure I am not checking it during “off” hours so that there is separation between home and work. I also find that moving my body—whether it’s a run around my neighborhood, a walk during my lunch break, or time in the gym—can do just as much good for my mental and emotional health as it can my physical health. I also make sure that I spend some time away from technology each week to engage in something I enjoy doing, like cooking, reading a book, or playing golf.

Q: What is next for you on your life journey?

A: Career-wise, I am looking to grow into my role as a people manager, which is something I took on a few months ago. I look forward to opportunities to mentor and manage those who are early in their career.

Life-wise, my husband and I hope to start a family soon and plant our roots in the Chicago suburbs. We bought our first house a few months ago and are enjoying some new projects as first-time homeowners. I also really enjoy traveling and have a bucket list item to visit all of the US National Parks, so I’m hoping to cross some more off in the next few years!

We look forward to seeing our alumni back on campus in August and invite everyone to stay in touch on Instagram and Facebook @clsmtu.

Brittany Nelson and the Summer Institute on Bounded Rationality

Published June 28, 2022

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ACSHF PhD student Brittany Nelson (bottom left) at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany

Summer is a time for adventure and learning. ACSHF PhD student Brittany Nelson earned her spot to experience both as the recipient of a 2022 Summer Institute on Bounded Rationality scholarship.

The program offers a forum for young scholars from around the world in various disciplines to share their approaches, discuss their research, and inspire each other. This year’s Summer Institute took place June 14 – 22, at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany. Brittany shares her experience with us here.

I’m very grateful to have attended the Max Planck Summer Institute on Bounded Rationality in Berlin, Germany. I heard from some of the best researchers in the world who study decision making (e.g., Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer and Dr. Ralph Hertwig). While there I developed and refined new research ideas, created a professional network with excellent graduate student researchers, learned new methodologies from interdisciplinary fields, and refined my presentation skills in front of leading experts! On the last day I heard an inspiring talk from Dr. Naomi Oreskes who discussed the responsibility of scientists to disseminate our science within our society. I really enjoyed my time there and am significantly better researcher for it. [Hear Dr. Oreskes message in her Ted Talk below.]

Brittany was also awarded a King-Chávez-Parks (KCP) Future Faculty Fellowship this past spring in support of her doctoral studies. Under the advisement of Dr. Erich Petushek, her current Ph.D. research involves identifying, measuring, and improving key factors that impact healthy lifestyle decisions.

For more CLS summer adventures and the latest happenings, follow us on Instagram @clsmtu and like us on Facebook.