Board

Frank Hannigan

President

Frank Hannigan is the Chief Operating Officer of Quantum Improvements Consulting. He has over 12 years of experience applying human factors and systems engineering principles and methods to the design of expert system displays and training curricula. He also has a wealth of business expertise having managed projects at large corporations, small businesses, and national laboratories. Frank holds a M.S. in Human Factors & Systems from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and B.S. in Aviation Science from Saint Louis University. Frank has led projects on high-profile programs including the Navy's Zumwalt Class Destroyer (DDG-1000), the FAA's Next Gen Air Traffic Control System, has directly supported the DOE's Electric Grid Modernization efforts, and was tapped to execute a special assignment for the executive leadership at Sandia National Laboratories. Frank's research interests are rooted in human performance with respect to automation increases and technology enhancements, whether on the battlefield, in the cockpit, or in the classroom.

Stephanie Quinn, Ph.D.

Vice President

Stephanie is an independent contractor offering clinical trial and medical device usability testing services in the US and EU. She obtained her PhD in Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology in 2013 and has over 10 years of experience in the design, execution, analysis, and interpretation of applied cognitive research. In addition to securing and executing large-scale research studies, Stephanie has experience teaching at the university level and conducting effectiveness evaluations of technology-based training support systems for Department of Defense clients.

Katlin Anglin, Ph.D.

Treasurer

Kati is a Human Factors Engineer at Quantum Improvements Consulting. She has experience conducting research in an applied setting, with an emphasis in training and performance in extreme environments. She also has experience employing human factors principles and methods to structural design and procedures. Kati holds a Ph.D in Human Factors Psychology from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Kati has supported projects for NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operation, Army Research Laboratory, Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office, and Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD). Her efforts support adaptive training based on individual needs and training effectiveness in military context.

Amanda van Lamsweerde, Ph.D.

Secretary

Amanda is a Research Psychologist at Quantum Improvements Consulting. She has over 10 years research experience in basic and applied cognitive psychology. Amanda earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Cognitive Psychology from Louisiana State University and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. Her basic cognition research background is rooted in perception, attention, and memory using a range of methodologies such as psychophysics, eye tracking, electroencephalogram (EEG), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Her applied research focuses on leveraging models of performance and cognition to create effective training environments and user experiences.

Amanda (Hafich) Bond

Publications Director

Amanda is a Research Scientist and Principal Investigator at Soar Technology, Inc. where she leads and contributes to various technical efforts. With 15 years of experience in both government research and commercial programs, Amanda has experience in a broad range of both operational and training domains including designing and evaluating systems. Notably, Amanda was the lead Human Factors Engineer for DARPA's Tactical Ground Reporting (TIGR) system used heavily by the US Army and US Marine Corps for Company-level situational awareness, tactical reporting, significant action tracking, and intelligence analysis during OEF and OIF. Other prior work includes Training Strategies Analyses for NASMP platforms, the design of a gestural language for deployment on a Kinect-based system for controlling UAVs, and learning sciences design for a mobile training platform for a commercial airline, and developing a mixed-reality training suite for a commercial mixed reality hardware provider. Amanda has an M.S. in Modeling and Simulation (Human Systems) from the University of Central Florida, a B.S. in Psychology from the Florida State University, and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Modeling and Simulation (Human Systems), also at the University of Central Florida.

Julian Abich, Ph.D.

Activities Director

Julian is a Senior Human Factors Engineer at Quantum Improvements Consulting. Julian holds a Ph.D. in Modeling and Simulation with a specialization in Human Factors, a B.S. in Psychology, and two certificates in Design for Usability and Instructional Design for Simulations from the University of Central Florida. He has over 11 years of experience applying human factors & ergonomics (HF/E) principles, modeling & simulation (M&S) approaches, and instructional design methodology to the assessment, prediction, and improvement of human performance. This work spans across usability & user experience, human-computer interaction, human-robot interaction, human systems integration, and training. His past work concentrated on investigating the role subjective, objective, and physiological measures play in assessing workload and stress in complex environments to ultimately build a closed-loop system, such as one involving a human and robot team or adaptive trainers. Taking a user-centered approach, his recent work focuses on the application of HF/E and M&S to assess the usability and effectiveness of training systems. This work expands to support the design of these systems for various emerging technological platforms, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and mobile devices. Julian also advocates for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) outreach efforts by encouraging public support and fostering posterity’s interest within these domains. He has a personal interest in writing and performing music, world traveling, and various extreme sports, recently progressing his certification as a B-License skydiver.