Issue link: https://industrialengineer.epubxp.com/i/777540
February 2017 | ISE Magazine 55 In its prior work, this team found a min- imal in fl uence of obesity on the likeli- hood of tripping. In "A Pilot Study Exploring Obesity- Related Differences in Fall Rate and Kinematic Response Resulting from a Laboratory-Induced Trip," the team in- vestigated the possibility that individuals who are obese fall more frequently not because they trip more often but be- cause they are less able to recover their balance. They had 21 young adults don a safety harness and then tripped them unex- pectedly as they walked in a biomechan- ics research lab. Overall, 30 percent of obese subjects fell into the harness after tripping, while none of the nonobese subjects fell. Moreover, the obese sub- jects who fell exhibited a less favorable stepping response after tripping and an inability to adequately decelerate their trunk. Although additional studies with more subjects are needed, this pilot study suggested that the higher rate of falling among individuals who are obese is due, in part, to a diminished ability to recover balance and prevent a fall af- ter tripping. The team aims to use this information to develop targeted fall prevention strategies and is interested in partnering with different industries to evaluate potential interventions. CONTACT: Michael Madigan; mlm@tamu.edu; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M; University, 5045 Emerging Technologies Building, 3120 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 Ro ald Aski s a professor a d director of the School of Computi g, I formatics a d Decisio ystems E gi eeri g at Arizo a State U iversity. The IISE fellow was editor- i -chief of IISE Transactions from 2013 to 2016. Maury Nussbaum is H.G. Prillama rofes- sor i he Departme t of I dustrial a d Sys- tems E eeri at Virgi ia Tech, ma agi editor of IISE Transactions on Occupa- tional Ergonomics and Human Factors (formerly IIE Transactions on Occupa- tional Ergonomics and Human Factors), a d a fellow of IISE. IISE Transactions is IISE's flagship research journal and is published monthly. It aims to foster exchange among researchers and practitioners in the industrial engineering community by publishing papers that are grounded in science and mathematics and motivated by engineering applications. IISE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics & Human Factors is devoted to compiling and disseminating knowledge on occupational ergonomics and human factors theory, technology, application and practice across diverse areas. To subscribe, call (800) 494-0460 or (770) 449-0460. About the journals Help Future ISEs– Make a Donation to the IISE Scholarship Fund The IISE Scholarship Fund recognizes industrial and systems engineering students' academic excellence and campus leadership. Last year, IISE awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships. Nicole Antonio is currently a student majoring in industrial engineering at the University of Oklahoma. She was the 2015-16 recipient of the Dwight D. Gardner Scholarship. Visit www.iise.org/PlannedGiving to make a donaƟon today. Growing up with a parent with a chronic illness, I was always so thankful for the care she received from medical professionals. However, I also often found myself frustrated by the many inefficiencies in the healthcare system. This experience, combined with my love of math and science, inspired me to pursue an ISE degree with a pre-med option at the University of Oklahoma. I hope to use my ISE background to improve the overall quality of patient care and use my understanding of analytics to identify and implement best practices as a healthcare provider. Scholarships like the one provided to me through IISE encouraged me tremendously and provided significant financial support to me as I pursued my educational goals.