Dr. James Smith has been at Texas Tech for the past 27+ years and currently holds the academic rank of Professor. He has served as IE department Chair (9 years), Associate Dean (4 years), and Interim Dean of Engineering (2 years). He has been elected as a Fellow of: the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the Ergonomics Society, the Institute of Industrial Engineers, and the Society for Design & Process Science. Dr. Smith currently serves as national Executive Vice-President of Alpha Pi Mu, the Industrial Engineering Honor Society. He also currently serves as Director of the Center for Space Sciences, where he has directed over $ IOM of NASA research over the past six years, as well as Director of the Institute for Ergonomics Research at Texas Tech. He is a Director Emeritus for the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Space Grant Consortium. Dr. Smith is currently serving a four year term on the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Initial Review Group for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Smith currently teaches ergonomics courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and is actively involved in ergonomics research.