Sri Lankan made Fellow of US Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
View(s):Prof. Ravindra Goonetilleke, Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has been elected a Fellow of the United States Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES). The Society was founded in 1957 with a mission to promote the discovery and exchange of knowledge on people’s characteristics to the design of differing kinds of systems and devices. Human Factors and Ergonomics issues first emerged with differing manned systems during World War II. Today Ergonomics is applied in various types of systems design.
Evaluating bowlers: Prof. Goonetilleke wiring Murali in February 1996
Prof. Goonetilleke is the first Sri Lankan to be elected as a Fellow of the US Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and this honour acknowledges his outstanding professional contributions to the Society and to the field of Human Factors and Ergonomics, and his achievements to advance the discipline and science of Human Factors and Ergonomics. He is also a Fellow of The Hong Kong Ergonomics Society.
Ravi, as he is known, completed his Masters degree in Industrial Engineering at the University at Buffalo, New York and then completed a second Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta prior to completing his PhD degree. He is a graduate of the University of Moratuwa where he obtained a First Class honours in Mechanical Engineering.
Prof.Goonetilleke is an old boy of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo and a Fulbright Scholar. After completing his PhD, he worked as a Project leader and Ergonomics Consultant at the Biomechanics Corporation of America in Long Island, New York. During this period, he helped many companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Steelcase, General Motors, Dow Corning, International Flavours and Fragrances, Cooper Power Tools, Lear Seating, Thomson Consumer Electronics, Motorola, Ford and numerous others improve their productivity and quality while reducing ergonomics related injuries and accidents.
He moved on from the consulting business to join the sport and fitness company, NIKE, to improve the ergonomics of sports equipment. He led a group of researchers and managed the Ergonomics department at the Nike Sports Research Laboratory at their headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, USA. During his time at NIKE, he performed innovative Human Factors research to improve user comfort and performance, and developed new footwear concepts to efficiently utilize human capabilities. His book, “Science of Footwear”, encompassing some of his research related footwear, was published in November 2012 by the CRC press.
In 1994, Prof. Goonetilleke moved back to the Asia region to set-up a world class Ergonomics research lab at the then new Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Many in cricketing circles may remember his work with Sri Lanka’s ace spinner Muttiah Muralidaran. In February 1996, a few months before the World Cup, Prof. Goonetilleke tested Murali with state-of-the art equipment in Hong Kong. His report cited in many cricketing circles helped clear Murali and that is when Sri Lanka won its first ever World Cup under Arjuna Ranatunge. His report format has become the norm for evaluating suspect bowlers.
Prof. Ravi Goonetilleke
He has over 150 publications in the area of Ergonomics and Design and holds many patents in the USA and China. He is a much sought-after speaker and consultant who has worked with numerous multinational companies all around the world over the years. He has been an invited speaker at many conferences and seminars such as the AKZO America Safety and Health Conference, American Society of Safety Engineers Seminar, American Industrial Hygiene Association (Central Ohio Chapter) Conference, World Research Forum, IDEA Convention to name a few.
Prof. Goonetilleke has run several 3-day workshops on Ergonomics in Sri Lanka for General Managers, Factory Managers, Factory Engineers, and Academics. His very first was in 2001 titled “Ergonomics: A Strategic Advantage for Sri Lankan Industries in the New Millennium”. Prof. Goonetilleke’s work on various projects have won top awards in and out of Hong Kong. The My Toy Design competition 2013 and the continuing collaboration with the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou are his most recent extraordinary contributions to the world of Design Thinking and Ergonomic Design.