Michael Zuschlag, Ph.D.
Dr. Michael Zuschlag is an engineering psychologist in the Human Factors Division of the U.S. Department of Transportation's John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center). Dr. Zuschlag's specialties are the human factors of automation and computer-operator interfaces in transportation systems.
Dr. Zuschlag earned his doctorate in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1989. After three years as a professor of psychology at Georgia Southern University, he returned to the University of Massachusetts to earn a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering. During this time, he conducted research on modeling human learning of computer menus and developed user interfaces for a university database and a parametric computer-aided engineering package.
Subsequently, Dr. Zuschlag performed usability engineering for advanced financial and telecommunications applications. He designed and empirically tested graphical user interfaces, carrying out task analysis and rapid prototyping.
He joined the Volpe Center in 1997. In the past two years, he has conducted human factors analysis of automated flight systems including flight management systems, developed user interface standards for database applications, and served as lead for the Usability Engineering Team for a project developing an advanced marine traffic management system for the Panama Canal. He has conducted technical reviews of an online database for FAA inspectors and of flat panel display technology for use in air traffic control. Recently, he organized a national symposium at Volpe on the human factors of automation in transportation.
Currently, Dr. Zuschlag is engaged in empirical research to develop validated and objective guidelines for the certification of head-up displays for air transports. Other work involves electronic flight bag, controlled flight into terrain, and synthetic vision. Dr. Zuschlag knows over five computer programming languages and has an extensive knowledge of multivariate statistics.
Phone: 617/494-3250
E-mail: michael.zuschlag@dot.gov
