March 4, 2025
By Chloe Arrington

Mohsen Moghaddam joined Georgia Tech in January with a joint appointment as the Gary C. Butler Family Associate Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. Learn about his journey to Georgia Tech, his research related to human-centered systems engineering, what he enjoys about working in academia, and more in this Q&A.
  

Welcome to Georgia Tech! How did you make the decision to become a Yellow Jacket?

Thank you! It’s truly an honor to be a member of the Yellow Jacket family. My decision to join Georgia Tech was driven by the fact that it offers one of the leading engineering programs in the nation, particularly in ISyE and mechanical engineering. I was also intrigued by the unique opportunity to collaborate with both schools to enhance the interdisciplinary nature of my work. And of course I’m excited to experience Southern culture, hospitality, and life in Atlanta.
 

You have a joint appointment in the Woodruff School and ISyE – can you tell us more about that?

My research is directly related to ISyE’s new area of specialization, human-centered systems engineering, as well as the Woodruff School’s research area group, computer-aided engineering and design. I’m very excited to contribute to both. I am appointed two-thirds with ISyE and one-third with the Woodruff School. I will be contributing to setting up and operationalizing an extended reality (XR)/human sensing and modeling lab in ISyE and an XR educational lab in the Woodruff School. I will also be offering two cross-listed courses between both schools: Human-Integrated Systems (HIS) and Extended Reality for Engineering (XRE). HIS covers topics such as general cognitive systems engineering concepts and principles, interface design, task analysis, prototyping, and empirical usability evaluation methods. XRE covers XR concepts, hardware, software, industrial applications, user experience/user interface design, C# programming, Unity development, virtual reality/augmented reality interaction design, app development, prototyping, and a hands-on project.
 

What is the focus of your current research?

Our vision is to advance human-centered computational models, algorithms, and tools that enhance industrial processes by augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them with machines. In the context of our research, the term “human” refers to any stakeholder across the product or service lifecycle, engaging in activities such as cognitive reasoning, decision-making, and complex manipulation tasks. This ranges from designers identifying user needs, prototyping, and evaluating concepts to industrial workers operating machinery, collaborating with robots, or performing complex tasks like assembly, inspection, maintenance, and repair. Our research combines advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and human modeling with cutting-edge human-machine interaction technologies, especially augmented, virtual, and extended reality.
 

How do you see your research impacting the field in the next five years?

We are developing adaptive XR interfaces designed to provide context-aware task guidance and assistance in complex manual tasks and human-machine/robot interactions. Our contributions involve leveraging multimodal data streams (e.g., RGB video, depth, hand tracking, gaze, and physiological signals) for real-time activity understanding, user modeling, and personalized content generation in XR. The outcome will be XR interfaces that dynamically adapt to the user’s needs and task status as they progress, much like an expert looking over their shoulder, providing precise interventions at the right place and time.
 

What are you most excited about in your new role?

I’m most excited about the prospect of working with the Georgia Tech faculty in ISyE, the Woodruff School, and beyond, as well as the opportunity to build new cross-disciplinary collaborations to advance research on emerging technologies like XR, AI, and robotics. My goal is to explore how these technologies can augment human cognitive and physical abilities in various industrial workplaces.
 

What do you enjoy about working in academia?

I enjoy working with bright, curious, and hardworking students and faculty to solve interesting problems that can advance human well-being and workplace performance, which also aligns with my personal values. I also love teaching and contributing to the educational mission of my unit, college, and university.
 

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love reading, walking, spending quality time with family and friends, and working out.
 

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be?

Steve Jobs!
 

Do you have a favorite quote or motto that you live by?

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” —Albert Einstein