Résumé

April, 2011

Emilie M. Roth

Contact Information

89 Rawson Road, Brookline, MA 02445-4509

Phone: (617) 277-4824

 Email:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

D-U-N-S® Number 829158299

 

Overview

Dr. Emilie M. Roth is a cognitive psychologist whose work has involved analysis of human problem-solving and decision-making in real-world environments (e.g., military command and control; intelligence analysis; nuclear power plant emergencies; railroad operations; surgery), and the impact of support systems (e.g., computerized procedures; alarm systems; advanced graphical displays; new forms of automation) on cognitive performance.  She has conducted empirical studies of naturalistic decision-making; developed and applied cognitive task analysis and cognitive work analysis techniques for understanding the cognitive demands imposed by work environments; and developed principles for effective decision-support for individuals and teams.  Dr. Roth has supported design of first of a kind systems including design and manning of the command center for a next-generation Navy ship; design of a  next generation nuclear power plant control room; and design of work-centered support systems for flight planning and monitoring for an Air Force organization. She serves on the editorial board of the journals Human Factors and Le Travail Humain; and is editor of the Design of Complex and Joint Cognitive Systems track of the Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making. She recently participated in the National Research Council Committee on Human-System Design Support for Changing Technology. She was elected a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (Fall, 2010).

 

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Education
 
Ph.D.      University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1980, Cognitive Psychology
M.A.       University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1977, Cognitive Psychology
B.A.        Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1974, Psychology
 
Professional Positions
 
June 1997 - Present:                Owner and Principal Scientist, Roth Cognitive Engineering
 
Research and development in areas of human factors and applied cognitive psychology (Cognitive Systems Engineering).  Serve as consultant and subcontractor on projects involving cognitive analysis and cognitive engineering.
 
Customers have included: Aptima, Inc.; BBN Technologies; Charles River Analytics, Inc.; Chenega Advanced Solutions & Engineering; Volpe Transportation Center; Logicon; ManTech International Corporation; Secure Decisions, a division of Applied Visions, Inc.; Westinghouse Electric Company; Harvard Risk Management Foundation; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
 
Recent and current ongoing projects include:
  • A project to support design and licensing of the control room for a  next-generation power plant (for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)
  • A project to assess the impact of new positive train control technology on the performance of railroad personnel including train dispatchers, train crews, and roadway workers (Subcontractor to MacroSys Research and Technology for the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center)
  • A project to develop concepts for, and  research prototypes of,  work-centered support systems to support real-time Command and Control staff in a transportation planning and management organization (Subcontractor to BBN on project sponsored by Wright Patterson AFB).
  • A project to develop cognitive support concepts and computational approaches to support complex intelligence analysis tasks. (Subcontractor to Charles River Analytics, Inc)
  • A project to improve the safety of medication prescribing/filling/dispensing systems by identifying medication-related errors associated with the interface of electronic systems and humans and using a human factors engineering (HFE) analysis to: identify causes of these errors, design systems to reduce the current error rate, and avoid serious errors in the future (Consultant to Performance Improvement & Risk Management, MIT Medical Department, under an RMF/CRICO grant enhance medication safety in an ambulatory setting by applying human factors methods.
  • A project to perform an observational study in the operating room of a large academic hospital in order to identify points of vulnerability and opportunities to improve patient safety through process changes (Sponsored by Harvard Risk Management Foundation).
  • A project to develop concepts for a mixed initiative planning system for command and control of unmanned vehicles (Subcontractor to Charles River Analytics, Inc. and Draper Labs on a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program) -- – Dr. Roth analyzed user requirements and designed and performed a user evaluation.
  • A project to perform a Cognitive Task Analysis to guide the design and manning of the Command Center for the next-generation Navy Ship (Subcontract to: Logicon)
  • A project to perform a Cognitive Task Analysis to guide the development and test of advanced visualizations in support of the command post of the future. (Subcontract to: Logica Carnegie Group, DARPA Command Post of the Future program).
  • A project that examines the cognitive demands inherent in data overload situations and explores aiding approaches to enable intelligence analysts to cope with data overload situations. (A project in collaboration with Prof. David D. Woods, from Ohio State University that was sponsored by Wright Patterson AFB).
  • A project to conduct a simulator study of operator performance in an existing power plant control room (at a Swedish plant) to serve as a baseline for design and validation of an advanced control room (Customer: Westinghouse)
 
November 1997 – June 1998:          Visiting Associate Research Professor in the Department of Information Science and Telecommunications, University of Pittsburgh
Member of a research team investigating the application of intelligent software agents  to support team performance in complex dynamic diagnostic and planning tasks.
 
 
Sept. 1992 - May 1997:   Advisory Scientist/Human Sciences Program Manager
                                                Westinghouse Science and Technology Center
               
Technical leader in a multi-disciplinary group that performs research and development in the areas of applied cognitive psychology, human factors, and human-computer interaction for Westinghouse divisions as well outside customers. (Advisory Scientist is the second highest level on technical ladder at Westinghouse. Appointment entails formal peer review as well as management approval.). 
 
Served as lead human factors specialist in the Westinghouse program to design and license an advanced control room for the Westinghouse AP600 advanced passive light water reactor nuclear power plant.
 
Conducted R&D in support of design of several Westinghouse person-machine products including a large wall-mounted group view display for broad situation awareness.
 
Aug. 1989 - Aug. 1992:      Human Sciences Program Manager,
                                                Westinghouse Science and Technology Center
               
Responsible for marketing and developing new programs in the Human Sciences area as well as serving as a technical lead on Human Sciences programs.
 
 
Sept. 1988-July 1989:        Research Psychologist, Engineering and Public Policy,
                                                Carnegie-Mellon University
 
Member of a multi-disciplinary applied research team performing studies
on decision-making, risk perception, and risk communication.
 
 
1982 - 1988:         Senior Scientist, Information Systems and Human Sciences                                                                                     Research, Westinghouse Research and Development Center
 
Member of a human factors and applied cognitive psychology group. Conducted
research on human problem-solving and decision-making in complex dynamic environments (e.g., simulated nuclear power plant emergencies) and human-computer interaction, with specific focus on human interaction with artificial intelligence systems.
 
 
1981 - 1982:          Research Analyst, ToxiGenics, Inc.
               
Internal consultant on statistical and experimental design problems.
 
 
1980 - 1981:        Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology,
                                Illinois State University.
 
Taught courses in cognitive psychology, experimental design and research
methods, and statistics.
 
 
 
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE and SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
 
Professional Service 
  • Editorial board member, Human Factors Journal
  • Editorial board member, Le Travail Humain
  • Editor of the Design of Cognitive Systems section, Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making
  • Member of a National Academy of Sciences Committee on Human-System Design Support for Changing Technology (in 2006).
  • Serving on a Leaders Review Symposium providing guidance on an AHRQ-funded contract, “Implementing and Improving the Integration of Decision Support into Outpatient Clinical Workflow.” (2008)
  • Member of the National Academies’ (National Research Council’s) Panel on Soldier Systems.  The panel annually visits the Army Research Laboratory’s Human Research and Engineering Directorate to assess the quality of that laboratory’s scientific and technical programs (2007 – 2010)
 
Society Memberships
  • Fellow, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (Fall, 2010)
  • Ergonomics
  • New England Chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
  • American Psychological Society
  • Cognitive Science Society
  • IEEE
  • Association for Computing Machinery  
 
PATENTS AND PUBLICATIONS
 
Patents and Patent Disclosures
 

Rusnica, L. A., Kerch, S. P., Thomas, V. M., Kenney, S., Brockhoff, C. S., Morris, B. C., Roth, E. M., & Sugibayashi, N. ‘Process overview display for use by personnel in operations/command and control centers to increase situation awareness and enhance crew coordination.’, U. S. Patent # 5,859,885, Jan. 12, 1999.

Lipner, M. H., Kerch, S. P., Roth, E. M. & Rusnica, L. A. ‘An improved navigational aid for the execution of complex plant process facility operating procedures.’, Patent disclosure, Oct. 27, 1995.

Elm, W. C., Roth, E. M., and Woods, D. D. ‘Expert advice display processing system’, U. S. Patent # 5,167,010, Nov. 24, 1992.

Bernard, T. E., Roth, E. M., Mohan, E. R., Sherwin, G. W. & Zomp, J. M. ‘Evoked potential autorefractometry system’, U. S. Patent # 4,697,598, Oct. 6, 1987.

 

Recent Relevant Publications 

Roth, E. M., Pfautz, J. D., Mahoney, S. M., Powell, G. M., Carlson, E. C., Guarino, S. L., Fichtl, T. C., and Potter, S. S. (2010) Framing and contextualizing information requests: problem formulation as part of the intelligence analysis process. Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, volume 4, number 3, Fall 2010, pp. 210 – 239.

Hoffman, R. R., Deal, S. V., Potter, S. and Roth, E. (2010). The practitioner’s Cycles, Part 2: Solving Envisioned World Problems. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 25 (3), 6-11.

Patterson, E. S., Roth, E. M., Woods, D. D. (2010). Facets of complexity in situated work. In Patterson ES, Miller J. (Eds.) Macrocognition Metrics and Scenarios: Design and Evaluation for Real-World Teams. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-7578-5. (pp. 221- 251).

 

Roth, E. M. and Eggleston, R. G. (2010). Forging new evaluation paradigms: Beyond statistical generalization. In Patterson ES, Miller J. (Eds.) Macrocognition Metrics and Scenarios: Design and Evaluation for Real-World Teams. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-7578-5. (pp. 203-219).

Bisantz, A. M. , Stone, R. T. , Pfautz, J., Fouse, A., Farry, M., Roth, E., Nagy, A., & Thomas, G. (2009). Visual representations of meta-information. Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, 3 (1), 67-91.

Roth, E. M., Multer, J. and Scott, R. (2009). Understanding and contributing to resilient work systems. In Nemeth, C. P., Hollnagel, E., and Dekker, S. (Eds) Resilience Engineering Perspectives Volume 2: Preparation and Restoration. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company.

Roth, E. M. and Pew, R. W. (2008). Integrating cognitive engineering in the systems engineering process: Opportunities, Challenges, and Emerging Approaches. Introduction to the Special Issue. Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, 2 (3), 161-164.

Evenson, S., Muller, M. and Roth, E. M. (2008). Capturing the context of use to inform system design. Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, 2 (3), 181-203.

Roth, E. M. (2009). Understanding Cognitive Strategies for Shared Situation Awareness Across a Distributed System: An Example of Strategies Analysis. In Ann M. Bisantz and C. M. Burns (Eds) Applications of Cognitive Work Analysis. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. 129 - 147

Roth, E. M. (2008). Uncovering the Requirements of Cognitive Work. Human Factors, 50 (3), 475-480. (Golden Anniversary Special Section on Discoveries and Developments). http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/hfes/hf/2008/00000050/00000003/art00022

Bisantz, A. and Roth, E. M. (2008). Analysis of Cognitive Work. In Deborah A. Boehm-Davis (Ed.) Reviews of Human Factors and Ergonomics Volume 3. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. 1-43.

Saleem JJ, Patterson ES, Militello L, Anders S, Falciglia M, Wissman J, Roth EM, Asch S. (2007). Impact of clinical reminder redesign on learnability, efficiency, usability, and workload for nursing personnel. J Am Med Inform Assoc., 14, 632-640.

Endsley, M. R., Hoffman, R., Kaber, D. and Roth, E. (2007). Cognitive engineering and decision making: An overview and future course. Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, 1(1), 1-21.

Greenberg, C. C., Roth, E. M., Sheridan, T. B., Gandhi, T. K., Gustafson, M. L., Zinner, M. J., and Dierks, M. M. (2006). Making the operating room of the future safer. The American Surgeon, 72 (11), 1102-1108.

Roth, E., M., Scott, R., Deutsch, S., Kuper, S., Schmidt, V., Stilson, M. And Wampler, J. (2006). Evolvable work-centered support systems for command and control: Creating systems users can adapt to meet changing demands. Ergonomics, vol. 49, #7, 688-705.

Patterson, E.S., Woods, D.D., Roth, E.M., Cook, R.I., Wears, R.L. (2006). Three key levers for achieving resilience in medication delivery with information technology. Journal of Patient Safety. 2(1). 33-38.

Roth, E. M., Multer, J., and Raslear, T. (2006).  Shared situation awareness as a contributor to high reliability performance in railroad operations. Organization Studies, 27(7), 967-987.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1054773804271935

O’Hara, J. M. and Roth, E. M. (2005). Operational concepts, teamwork, and technology in commercial nuclear power stations. In Clint Bowers, Eduardo Salas and Florian Jentsch (Eds) Creating High-Tech Teams: Practical guidance on work performance and technology. (pp. 139-159).Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association.

Scott, R., Roth, E. M., Deutsch, S. E., Malchiodi, E., Kazmierczak, T., Eggleston, R. and Kuper, S. R., Whitaker, R.  (2005). Work-Centered Support Systems: A Human-Centered Approach to Intelligent System Design.  IEEE Intelligent Systems, vol. 20, issue 2, pp. 73-81.

Elm, W. C., Roth, E. M., Potter, S. S., Gualtieri, J. W. and Easter, J. R. (2005). Applied Cognitive Work Analysis (ACWA). In   Neville Stanton, Alan Hedge, Karel Brookhuis, Eduardo Salas and Hal Hendrick (Eds.) Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods. (pp. 36-1 – 36-9) Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Roth, E. M. and Patterson, E. S. (2005). Using observational study as a tool for discovery: Uncovering cognitive and collaborative demands and adaptive strategies. In Montgomery, H., Lipshitz, R., & Brehmer, B. (Eds.) How professionals make decisions. (pp. 379 – 393) Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Patterson, E.S., Roth, E.M., Woods, D.D., Chow, R., Gomes, J.O.  (2004). Handoff strategies in settings with high consequences for failure: lessons for health care operations.  International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 16(2), 1-8.

Vicente, K. J., Mumaw, R. J., and Roth, E. M. (2004). Operator Monitoring in Complex Dynamic Work Environment: A Qualitative Cognitive Model Based on Field Observations. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomic Science, 5(5), 359-384.

Wreathall, J., Bley, D., Roth, E., Multer, J. and Raslear, T. (2003). Using an integrated process of data and modeling in Human Reliability Analysis. Reliability Engineering and System Safety, special issueon HRA Data Issues and Errors of Commission, 83, 221-228.

Bisantz, A. M., Roth, E. M., Brickman, B., Gosbee, L., Hettinger, L. and McKinney, J. (2003).   Integrating Cognitive Analyses in a Large Scale System Design Process. International Journal of Human Computer Studies, 58, 177-206.

Elm, W.C., Potter, S.S., Gualtieri, J.W., Roth, E.M., & Easter, J.R. (2003). Applied Cognitive Work Analysis: A pragmatic Methodology for Designing Revolutionary Cognitive Affordances. In E. Hollnagel (Ed) Handbook for Cognitive Task Design. ( pp. 357- 382). London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Roth, E. M. and O’Hara, J. (2002) Integrating Digital and Conventional Human System Interfaces: Lessons Learned from a Control Room Modernization Program. Washington, D. C. : U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (NUREG/CR-6749 also BNL-NUREG-52638) Available online at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/contract/cr6749/6749-021104.pdf

Roth, E. M., Patterson, E.S. & Mumaw, R. J. (2002). Cognitive Engineering: Issues in User-Centered System Design. In J. J. Marciniak (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Software Engineering, 2nd Edition (pp 163 – 179). New York: Wiley-Interscience, John Wiley & Sons.

Woods, D. D., Patterson, E. S., and Roth, E. M. (2002). Can we ever escape from data overload? A cognitive systems diagnosis. Cognition, Technology and Work, 4 (1), 22-36.

Patterson, E. S., Roth, E. M. and Woods, D. D. (2001). Predicting vulnerability in computer-supported inferential analysis under data overload. Cognition, Technology and Work, 3, 224 – 237.

Vicente, K. J., Roth, E. M., Mumaw, R. J. (2001). How do operators monitor a complex, dynamic work domain? The impact of control room technology.    International Journal of Human Computer Studies, 54, 831-856. Available online at: http://www.idealibrary.com

Roth, E. M., Lin, L., Kerch, S., Kenney, S. J., & Sugibayashi, N. (2001) Designing a first-of-a kind group view display for team decision making: a case study. In Salas, E. & Klein, G. (Eds) Linking Expertise and Naturalistic Decision Making (pp. 113-135). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Mumaw, R. J., Roth, E. M., Vicente, K. J. & Burns, C. M. (2000). There is more to monitoring a nuclear power plant than meets the eye. Human Factors, vol 42, # 1, 36-55.

Potter, S. S., Roth, E. M., Woods, D. D. & Elm, W. (2000).   Bootstrapping multiple converging cognitive task analysis techniques for system design. In J. M. Schraagen, S. F. Chipman & V. L. Shalin (Eds.) Cognitive Task Analysis (pp. 317-340).  Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Roth, E. M., Malin, J. T. , & Schreckenghost, D. L. (1997). Paradigms for Intelligent Interface Design. In M. Helander, T. Landauer & P. Prabhu (Eds.) Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction (2nd edition), Amsterdam: North-Holland. (pp. 1177-1201).

Taylor, J. H., O’Hara, J., Luckas, W. J., Parry, G. W., Cooper, S. E., Roth, E. M., Bley, D. C., an Wreathall, J.   FRAME-OF-REFERENCE MANUAL for ATHEANA: A Technique for Human Error Analysis. Washington D. C.: U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC technical report in preparation. (NUREG/CR-XXXX)

Roth, E. M. Analysis of Decision-Making in Nuclear Power Plant Emergencies: An investigation of aided decision-making. In C. Zsambok and G. Klein (Eds.) Naturalistic Decision-Making, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997.

Roth, E. M., Mumaw, R. J., & Lewis, P. M. An Empirical Investigation of  Operator Performance in Cognitively Demanding Simulated Emergencies. Washington D. C.: U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 1994.  (NUREG/CR-6208)

Mumaw, R. J., Swatzler, D., Roth, E. M. & Thomas, W. A. Cognitive skill training for nuclear power plant operational decision making. Washington, DC: U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 1994. (NUREG/CR-6126).