Last August, a group of psychology undergraduate students (Seungmi Lee, Hayun Back, Hyebin Yu, Eojin Lee, Soyoun Bae, and Sylvie Hong) from the University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC) attended the 22nd Triennial Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA2024) held in Jeju, South Korea. Guided by Dr. Carina Pals, an Associate Professor (Lecturer) in the Department of Psychology at UAC, and supported by a UAC travel grant, the students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of human factors and ergonomics.

The conference provided a wealth of insights through thought-provoking presentations and stimulating discussions. Students actively engaged with fellow attendees, sharing their experiences and learning from the expertise of researchers and practitioners in the field.  Actively participating in the numerous forums, panel discussions, symposiums, and presentations for 4 days at the conference, students could delve deeper into specific areas of interest, such as biomechanics, neuromarketing,  human factors psychology related to Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and healthcare. They also took the opportunity to introduce our psychology program at UAC, highlighting the human factors certificate program and its opportunities. Through networking and proactive engagement, the students were able to secure additional opportunities to visit research labs and conduct virtual meetings.

The students are immensely grateful to everyone who welcomed them and patiently answered their questions, providing invaluable guidance and support. The insights gained from IEA2024 will undoubtedly inform their ongoing studies and future research projects, and they are eager to leverage the human factors certificate program at UAC to enhance their career prospects.