Auburn engineer recognized for leadership in human factors
Published: Mar 6, 2026 11:25 AM
By Carla Nelson
Missie Smith, assistant professor in Auburn University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Human Systems Integration Center, has received multiple national recognitions this year from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
Missie Smith, assistant professor in Auburn University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Human Systems Integration Center, has received multiple national recognitions this year from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) for her leadership, service and mentorship in the field.
Smith was awarded the 2025 Bentzi Karsh Early Career Service Award, which honors early-career professionals who demonstrate exceptional service, mentorship and outreach in human factors and ergonomics. The award recognizes Smith’s extensive leadership within HFES, her mentorship of more than 150 early-career professionals and her efforts to advance accessibility, inclusion and STEM engagement.
In addition to the award, Smith has taken on several key leadership roles within HFES, including secretary-treasurer-elect and Science Policy Fellow. As a Science Policy Fellow, Smith will work with the HFES Government Relations Committee to help develop policy statements and conduct outreach to government decision-makers on Capitol Hill and within federal agencies.
The HFES Science Policy Fellowship is a competitive, three-year program that provides training in government affairs, opportunities to influence the policy process and prepares members to serve as advocates for human factors and ergonomics research at the national level.
“We congratulate Dr. Smith on this well-deserved honor,” said Mark Schall, director of Human Systems Integration Center. “Her exceptional dedication to service and leadership in her professional community brings fresh ideas, stronger research partnerships and national visibility back to the university, elevating our entire academic community. It is great to see her be recognized for her outstanding contributions.”
Smith said the recognition from HFES is especially meaningful because of the role the society has played throughout her career.
“The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is my academic home, so being recognized by the society is especially meaningful to me,” Smith said. “As technology becomes increasingly incorporated in everyday life, it is more important than ever to account for human capabilities and limitations, making human factors a critical focus. Preparing the next generation of human factors professionals to meet this need is a central part of my work.”
Much of Smith’s service has focused on mentorship, accessibility and expanding pathways into STEM, work she says is deeply personal.
“Without mentorship, I would never have considered the paths that I have taken,” Smith said. “As I advanced in my career, I made it a goal to pay forward the kindness of those who supported me by supporting others. My career wouldn’t have been possible without the unconditional support of so many people, and now I can provide the same support to today’s students and early-career scientists.”
Beyond HFES, Smith is also helping elevate Auburn’s profile in augmented, mixed and virtual reality research through her involvement with the IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR), one of the premier international conferences in the field.
“My involvement with ISMAR creates new opportunities for Auburn to engage with the international research community and gives us a chance to put Auburn on the global map for AR/MR/VR research,” Smith said. “It allows me to stay closely connected to emerging international research trends while also sharing the ongoing research here at Auburn.”
Media Contact: , carla@auburn.edu, 334-844-1404
