About HFACS. Inc.
Meet the HFACS, Inc. Team
Scott A. Shappell, Ph.D.
Dr. Scott A. Shappell is a Department Chair and Professor of Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Before joining the faculty at Embry-Riddle, Dr. Shappell was a professor of Industrial Engineering at Clemson University. Prior to being on the faculty at Clemson, he was the Human Factors Research Branch Manager at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. In addition, Dr. Shappell served over 16 years in the U.S. Navy as an Aerospace Experimental Psychologist. He has published and presented well over 200 papers, books, and presentations in the fields of accident investigation, system safety, spatial disorientation, sustained operations and fatigue. Dr. Shappell received a B.S. in psychology (1983) from Wright State University graduating Summa Cum Laude with honors in psychology and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 1990.
Douglas A. Wiegmann, Ph.D.
Dr. Douglas A. Wiegmann is an Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin. Before joining the faculty in Madison, Wisconsin he was a National Institutes of Health Roadmap Scholar at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine where he also served as the Director of Human Factors and Patient Safety Research within the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Wiegmann has also been an associate professor of Human Factors at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and formerly served as an aviation psychologist and accident investigator for both the National Transportation Safety Board and the United States Navy. Dr. Wiegmann received his Ph.D. in cognitive psychology in 1992 from Texas Christian University. He earned a post-doctoral master’s degree in biomedical science from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in 2007.
Michael Kohn - HFACS Certified Instructor
Michael’s professional journey has taken him from the frontlines of the petrochemical industry to the parade lines of Disneyland. He has trained emergency responders at major oil refineries, created numerous EH&S programs authored process safety management programs that affect high-risk, high-impact sites. He developed Disneyland’s and DIRECTV’s Accident Investigation Program using the Human Factors Analysis Classification System – the results of which saw Workers Comp rates to fall as much as 2/3’s. Mike has a proven track record not only teaching HFACS but also successfully bring HFACS to full implementation for many different organizations across a wide variety of industries.
Albert J. Boquet, Ph.D. - HFACS Certified Instructor
Dr. Albert J. Boquet is a Professor of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Prior to joining Embry-Riddle, he served as a principal investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has over 150 publications, presentations, and training series on topics relating to systems safety, fatigue, and fatigue management, and the health consequences of stress. Dr. Boquet received his B.A. in Psychology from Nicholls State University in 1984, his M.A. in Experimental Psychology in 1990, and his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1991. He completed a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship in Biological Psychology funded by the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse and the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in 1995. He has conducted training for system safety, error management, and fatigue and shiftwork management across multiple industries, including aviation, oil and gas, healthcare, chemical processing, and materials processing.
Jennifer Cabrera - Human Factors Analyst
Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the College of William & Mary and a Master of Science in Human Factors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Following her undergraduate studies, Jennifer accepted a Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, where she used classical electrophysiology techniques to investigate high-affinity channel antagonists in the development of novel antimalarial drugs. Her experience with specialized laboratory equipment enabled her transition to working as an Architectural Programmer with LSY Architects & Laboratory Planners. There she collaborated with senior architects and engineers on technically-challenging design projects constructing laboratory facilities in the government and academic sector. As a graduate student, her primary research focus was on developing data-driven, targeted interventions to mitigate process inefficiencies in trauma and the cardiovascular operating room. She has co-authored numerous publications and presentations in systems safety and process improvement in complex systems, particularly in the healthcare setting. She is a Certified HFACS Professional and has conducted research and training in the aviation, chemical processing, and healthcare industries.
Sheena D. Dickerson - Certification Manager & Human Factors Analyst
Sheena D. Dickerson is a Certification Manager & Human Factors Analyst for HFACS, Inc. She graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) with a Bachelor of Science in Human Factors & Psychology and a Master of Science in Human Factors & Systems. Sheena completed an aviation internship at Battelle Memorial as a contractor to NASA Ames in Mountain View, CA working on the Distributed National FOQA Archive. She was a graduate student assistant for the Center for Aerospace Safety/Security Education responsible for helping with the aircraft crash lab and course materials. She dual enrolled in college to complete an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course and successfully gained her National Registry of EMT (NREMT) certification due to interest in the medical field. This lead to becoming a Reserch Intern/Emergency Room PCT at Baptist Health in Montgomery, AL collecting data related to fatigue and shift work. Sheena was also voted in as the ’07-’08 ERAU Student President of International Society of Aviation Investigators (ISASI) and was awarded the ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship in 2006 for her essay on “Challenges for Air Safety Investigators”.
