This summer, faculty in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Clemson University launched the inaugural cohort of H-CORE (Human-Centered Operations Research and Engineering), a National Science Foundation-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site. Undergraduates from across the country joined us for ten weeks of mentored research, professional development, and campus life.
Real-World Projects with Depth and Purpose
Student in H-CORE participated in one of three faculty-led research projects that bridged human factors, systems, and analytics. Each offered a hands-on, interdisciplinary experience:
Enhancing Physical Performance via Personalized Training & Assistive Devices
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jessica Aviles
Students designed adaptive training protocols using wearable devices (e.g. exoskeletons) and balance instruments. They investigated how personal attributes including physical fitness, age, gender, and cognitive capacity should influence training progressions. Participants conducted human-subject experiments, processed biomechanical data on body posture, muscle activation, and strength, and evaluated the effectiveness of individualized training for injury reduction and performance gains.
Optimizing Worker Allocation under High Cognitive Workload
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tugce Isik
In partnership with Clemson’s Vehicle Assembly Center (CVAC) and BMW Manufacturing Co., students completed two phases of work. First, they ran controlled experiments in a mock assembly environment to study how high cognitive demands affect worker performance. Next, they used collected data to build and parameterize optimization models to propose improved policies for allocating labor. The models were intended to reduce errors, improve workflow, and enhance worker satisfaction.
Optimizing Community Access to Local Parks
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Emily Tucker
This project addressed equity in community infrastructure. Students developed optimization models that incorporated community-centered objectives – ensuring fair access across diverse populations. They also studied how stakeholders might interact with model outputs and visualizations, iteratively refining models based on feedback. The research included engagement with park planning experts and modeling trade-offs between efficiency, fairness, and usability.
These projects showcased H-CORE’s mission: to pair human-centered thinking with systems and analysis in authentic, societally relevant settings.
Mentorship at Every Level
H-CORE is shaped by Dr. Thomas Sharkey, Dr. Jessica Aviles, and Dr. Emily Tucker, who led the program’s design and execution. Students also benefitted from layered support:
- Faculty mentors guided weekly research direction.
- Program leaders held biweekly check-ins, advising on professional trajectories.
- Graduate student mentors offered near-peer support – helping with daily research challenges and insight into graduate life.
This model combined technical expertise, career advice, and peer-level encouragement.
Building Skills for Graduate School and Beyond
In addition to project work, participants joined weekly professional development sessions led by faculty and graduate mentors on human-centered data collection, navigating graduate school and job searches, reading research literature, and polishing CVs and resumes.
Students toured Clemson’s advanced research hubs: the SC Institute for Sustainability and Resilience, the Center for Criminal Justice and Social Research, and the PHASE Lab, observing faculty and grad students at work on cutting-edge projects.
Life at Clemson: Community and Collaboration
Beyond the lab, students experienced life at Clemson through community events, brownbag lunches, and social activities alongside other summer research cohorts. Working in close proximity to mentors fostered collaboration and gave participants a glimpse into Clemson’s vibrant research culture.
Looking Ahead
H-CORE will return in Summer 2026 and 2027, offering undergraduates more opportunities to join this growing program.
With visionary faculty leadership and rigorous, human-centered projects, H-CORE is helping to train the next generation of systems thinkers, analysts, and researchers. If you’re a STEM undergraduate ready to dive into impactful research, mark your calendar and apply to join us in Summer 2026.
For key program details, please visit https://cecas.clemson.edu/hcore/
