A visiting professor at Brac University, J. Brian Peacock, PhD, PE, CPE has been named as the recipient of the ‘2020 Ergonomics Practitioner of the Year’ Award by The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) on 06 October 2020.
The FPE was established in 2004 as a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing professionalism in ergonomics through educational activities and awards. The annual award recognises colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the practice of ergonomics through their professional lifetime achievements and/or specific implementation projects.
Professor Brian’s illustrious career started off through a bachelor’s degree in ergonomics and cybernetics from Loughborough University and a PhD in engineering production from Birmingham University. His background in ergonomics and industrial engineering have provided a foundation for a long career in industry and academia. This includes 18 years in academia, with Birmingham University, Hong Kong University, Monash University (sabbatical), Dalhousie University, The University of Oklahoma, The National University of Singapore, and Singapore University of the Social Sciences. He retired as a professor in the Department of Safety Science at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, where he taught classes in system safety and applied ergonomics.
He also has under his belt 15 years’ experience with General Motors Product Design and Manufacturing Organizations and four years as discipline coordinating scientist for the National Space Biomedical Institute/NASA.
He has authored over 300 journal articles, reports, book chapters and presentations, including books on statistical distributions, automotive ergonomics and ergonomics in design. Among his books are Statistical Distributions (with NAJ Hastings, 1980), Automotive Ergonomics (with Waldemar Karwowski, 1993) The Laws and Rules of Ergonomics in Design (2009), Human Systems Integration (2019), Big Picture Ergonomics (2019) and How Ergonomics Works (2020).
Professor Brian is also a licenced professional engineer, a licenced private pilot, a certified professional ergonomist, and a fellow of both the Ergonomics and Human Factors Society (UK) and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (USA).
He continues his endeavours as a consultant in ergonomics and systems engineering.
At Brac University he is focusing on the preliminary development of a Center for Wellness in the Workplace, an Industrial Engineering Department, compilation of material for teaching (occupational biomechanics, ergonomics in design and system safety), and the refinement of previously unpublished papers and project reports.