International Conference on Human Factors in Design, Engineering, and Computing (AHFE 2025) Travel Report

By Tasnim Hasan, HCDE master's student

I attended and presented at the AHFE 2025 International Conference (Hawaii Edition) in Honolulu, where I was the only representative from my program presenting at the conference. Presenting my work to an international audience was a valuable opportunity to share my research while actively engaging with scholars and practitioners across human factors, human-centered design, and engineering. Being a presenter allowed me to contribute directly to interdisciplinary discussions and represent HCDE within a global academic community.

In addition to presenting, I made a concerted effort to integrate myself into the conference by attending a wide range of technical sessions, participating in post-presentation discussions, and networking with other researchers and professionals. These interactions exposed me to diverse research methodologies and applications, and strengthened my interest in academic scholarship and conference-based knowledge exchange. Hearing how other researchers framed their questions, structured their studies, and discussed implications for real-world systems sparked a deeper curiosity in reading, writing, and contributing to academic papers moving forward

Several sessions in particular expanded my interest in research at the intersection of mental health, aviation, and high-stakes sociotechnical systems. Discussions around human performance, resilience, and psychological well-being in complex environments prompted me to think more critically about how human-centered design and research can support mental health in safety-critical domains. This experience has motivated me to further explore academic research opportunities, interdisciplinary collaborations, and additional ways to get involved in conference communities that address these topics.

Overall, attending and presenting at AHFE 2025 was a formative experience that contributed meaningfully to my academic and professional development. I am deeply grateful for the HCDE and Graduate School funding support that made this experience possible. Participating in an international conference strengthened my interest in continued scholarly engagement, and I hope to attend and present at more conferences like AHFE in the future to further develop my research, expand my professional network, and bring new insights back to the HCDE community.