Fri, Nov 04, 2005
The FAA is presenting
its 2005 Excellence in Aviation Research Awards to Richard Dolbeer,
Ph.D., Coordinator of the Aviation Safety and Assistance Program
for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Colin Drury, Ph.D.,
University of Buffalo Distinguished Professor and Chair of the
Department of Industrial Engineering at the university, for their
work in airport wildlife hazard mitigation and aviation maintenance
human factors, respectively.
"This research makes a difference," said FAA Administrator
Marion Blakey. "Doctor Dolbeer and Doctor Drury are enabling us to
raise the bar for aviation safety."
Dolbeer is a world-renowned expert in airport wildlife hazard
mitigation and pioneered applied research in the field. He created
the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Wildlife Service Aviation
Research Project, an effort to reduce wildlife hazards to aviation.
He also helped create the National Wildlife Strike Database, the
most extensive and accurate database of its kind in the world.
Dolbeer's work has led to major advancements in managing airport
environments to reduce wildlife use. His efforts produced a
dramatic reduction in aircraft collisions with birds at New York's
John F. Kennedy International Airport and laid the foundation for
subsequent work at more than 600 U.S. airports.
Drury is internationally recognized for his research in aviation
maintenance human factors. He has been a key contributor to the FAA
Human Factors in Maintenance Research and Development Program,
conducting critical safety research since 1989. His research has
spanned many critical topics in this area, including: visual and
non-destructive inspection; the use of simplified English for
maintenance technical documentation; the effectiveness of error
investigation processes, and the effect of English as a second
language on maintenance error.
His current focus is on applying human factors and ergonomics
theory to improve the task structure, environment and training
facilities used in aviation maintenance. Drury has researched and
written more than 300 publications covering industrial process
control, quality control, aviation maintenance and safety.
This is the eighth year that the prestigious Excellence in
Aviation Research Awards have been presented. The awards are given
annually to individuals and/or institutions outside of the FAA
whose research contributions have resulted in a significantly
safer, more efficient national airspace system.
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