I am a tenured Associate Professor in Industrial, Manufaturing and Systems Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso since Jan 2023. From 2012-2022, I was a faculty in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Iowa. Prior to my work at the University of Iowa, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality at Johns Hopkins University. I received my PhD in Industrial Engineering from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. My BS degree is in Computer Science from the University of Madras, India.

My primary research interests are in studying people’s cognitive work and in designing information systems to support their cognitive work. My research has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Library of Medicine at NIH.

In a recent NSF project funded in 2020, I am modeling nurses’ decision making when tele-triaging during the pandemic. I have also received an NSF grant in September 2021 to study how artificial intelligence will impact office work and workers.

An allied research interest I have is in understanding barriers to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive educational environment for underrepresented minority students in engineering. In a 2021 NSF grant I have received (in collaboration with Dr. A. Pennathur), I am examining social and technical factors that will catalyze the success of these students.

Previously, I have led and participated in many federally-funded research projects examining various aspects of cognitive work in healthcare settings including situation awareness and communication when transitioning from manual to electronic patient tracking systems, developing models of information-based cognitive work representations for healthcare providers, cognitive work in pain management, and improving patient safety and the quality of care. In my work, I employ a variety of research approaches and methods such as field simulations, observations, interviews, and qualitative and quantitative analyses.

I am presently a Scientific Editor in Applied Ergonomics and an Associate Editor in IISE Transactions on Healthcare Systems Engineering. I also serve on the Editorial Board in Human Factors in Healthcare, and International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. I serve as a reviewer in many research journals including Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making. I continue to serve as an NSF panelist for many NSF programs.

I have served on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council in the University of Iowa College of Engineering between 2019-2021.

Selected Awards and Honors

1. Winner, 2018 Dr. Hamed K. Eldin Outstanding Early Career IE in Academia, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Orlando, FL.
2. Winner, 2014 International Ergonomics Association (IEA) Liberty Mutual Medal in Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, and a cash prize of $10,000, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Presented at the Product Design/Health Care Technical Groups Networking Reception on October 28 at the Annual Human Factors and Ergonomics Conference, Chicago, IL.
3. Winner, 2014 Liberty Mutual Award for Best Article in Ergonomics, Ergonomics Journal, and Liberty Mutual Insurance.
4. Winner, University of Iowa College of Engineering Award to Recognize Teaching and Dedication to Student Success, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, December 2016.
5. Winner, Outstanding Student Organization Advisor (I was the advisor of the IISE Student Chapter), College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, Spring 2017.

Thank you for your interest in my work. Please browse through my research and publications page, and my teaching page to know more about my work. Please drop me a note if you would like to contact me.