Meet our team
the people that make it happen
Dr. Scarlett Miller | Britelab Director
Dr. Miller is an expert in innovation, human-computer interaction, engineering design, and human factors product design. She is a professor in the School of Engineering Design, Technology and Professional Programs (SEDTAPP) and the Hal and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Penn State University. She also holds affiliate appointments in Mechanical Engineering, the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and in Surgery.
Email | Google Scholar | LinkedIn | Twitter
Graduate Students
Jessica González-Vargas | Industrial Engineering PhD Candidate
Jessica M. González-Vargas is a PhD student in Industrial Engineering at Penn State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez in 2019 and master’s degree in Industrial Engineering at Penn State in 2020. She is interested in applying human factors principles in the healthcare area to improve medical education, patient safety, and patient outcomes.Email | Google Scholar | LinkedIn | DHRT Project
Aoran Peng | Industrial Engineering PhD Candidate
Aoran Peng is a PhD student in Industrial Engineering at Penn State University. She received her Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Stony Brook University in 2018, and her Masters of Science in Engineering Design from Penn State University in 2020. Her interests are in human factors, as well as creativity and risk taking in engineering education.Email | LinkedIn | Malevalent Creativity Project
Haroula Tzamaras | Industrial Engineering PhD Student
Haroula Tzamaras is a PhD student in Industrial Engineering at Penn State University. She received her Bachelors in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2018 and worked as a a design engineer in industry for a few years before returning to school. She is interested in medical human factors, engineering and medical education, and STEM equity.Email | LinkedIn | DHRT Project
Samantha Scarpinella | Industrial Engineering MS Student
Samantha is a MS student in Industrial Engineering at Penn State University. She received her Bachelors in Industrial Engineering from Quinnipiac University in 2021. Her current research is in medical human factors, surgical education, and the design of medical simulators. Sam strides to find a career that has a direct impact on society and can improve the lives of a group of individuals.Email | LinkedIn | Laparoscopic Surgery Simulator
Marc (Jiacheng) Cai | Engineering Design MS Student
Marc is a MS student in Engineering Design at Penn State University. He received his Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering from Penn State in 2022. He is currently researching the impact of the metaverse on our ability to be creative.Email | LinkedIn | Creativity in the Metaverse
Divyaa Vivekanandan Gopalakrishnan | Engineering Design MS Student
Divyaa is a MS student in Engineering Design at Penn State University. She received her Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Reserch Academy (SASTRA), Thanjavur in 2021. She is currently researching the impact of team interventions on psychological safety in engineering student teams.Email | LinkedIn | Psychological Safety
Undergraduate Students
Ava Drum | Industrial Engineering BS Honors Student
Ava is a BS student in Industrial Engineering at Penn State University. She is also in the Schreyer's Honors College.Email | Psychological Safety Project
Rachel Bartuska | Industrial Engineering BS Honors Student
Rachel is a BS student in Industrial Engineering at Penn State University. She is also in the Schreyer's Honors College.Email | DHRT Project