March is Women’s History Month!

Hello, my name is Heather Lum and I have the honor of serving as president of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Women’s Organization for Mentorship and Networking (HFE WOMAN) Affinity Group. As it says on the HFE Woman’s website, our mission is to connect women in human factors, ergonomics, and human factors-related disciplines to provide mentorship, networking, and opportunities for professional and personal development for women and underrepresented populations.

March is women’s history month. I am delighted to introduce this month to you and highlight some amazing women who have been pioneers in the human factors and broader communities. I would highly suggest you read the "First Ladies of HFES" which is a series of articles by HFES Past President Francis T. Durso describing the distinguished careers of women members who were first to serve in their respective positions. And today, women in human factors continue to innovate, mentor, and be an integral part of advancing our field. In this spirit, we have created a video celebrating this with just a fraction of the outstanding and inspiring women who were nominated by their students and peers!

I would also like to remind you that we are collecting nominations for three awards that HFE Woman sponsors every year: HFE WOMAN Woman of the Year, HFE WOMAN Mentor of the Year, and the Rising Star Award. These awards are presented annually during the HFE WOMAN luncheon. Details on these awards can be found here. The deadline to nominate is April 30th so make sure you get them in soon.

I have personally been inspired by a number of women in human factors. And while there are too many to mention all, Carolyn Sommerich (our current HFES president), Nancy Cooke (HFES past president), Ranjana Mehta (HFE WOMAN past president), Ashley Hughes (outgoing council of affinity groups chair), and Gabriella Hancock (my dear friend and colleague and past HFE WOMAN events chair) are just a few that are pushing me and ALL OF US forward with their dedication, drive, and work. Thank you to these and all of the women of human factors!

Heather C. Lum, Ph.D.
HFE WOMAN Affinity Group President