The Oxford Research
Institute was originally founded in 1977 by a group of research
scientists and engineers concerned with the general decline and
empathy of American business and physical sciences posture toward
ergonomics and Human Factors Engineering. The founders of the
institute concluded that one of the problems within our
scientific and business community is the lack of integrated
multidisciplinary cooperation among scientists of different
ergonomic disciplines, and a general failure to adequately
transfer technology and methods both within and beyond the
scientific community. As a result of this finding the Institute
was formed and structured to execute an Ergonomics / Human
Factors Engineering accreditation program for Universities and
Colleges and encourage multidisciplinary technical transfer of
ergonomic information and research into business, engineering
sciences, and industry.
The original founding
directors of ORI were Dr. Richard D. Doolittle, Captain Vernon
Anderson USN (Ret.) and CEO of Undersea Research Corporation, and
William W. Banks. The First President of the Oxford Research
Institute was Dr. Richard Doolittle, followed in order by Mr.
Stephen Hunter of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and
later, William W. Banks, serving as executive director
representing the discipline of Human Factors
Engineering.
In 1993, a
reorganization of ORI took place in order to refocus toward the
certification of Ergonomist and human factors engineers. Members
of the Board felt that by offering a certificate (certification
process) to practicing professionals, that this might help
promote and define the profession and give both recognition and
higher visibility to professionals working in the field. During
FY 94, the Review Board of Directors included: Dr. Harold Van
Cott, CHFEP; Mr. Smoke Price, CHFEP; Dr. Larry Potash, CHFEP, Dr.
Robert Waters, CIE; Dr. Harold Booher, CHFEP; Dr. John Weimer,
CHFEP; Ms. Barbara Merrill, CIE, William W. Banks, CIE, and Ms.
Lynn Gordon (advisor).
The 1998 review board
of directors nominated or added for 1998 included Dr. Abbas
Moellum, CIE , Dr. David Gold Sheyder, CIE of NYU, Professor
Emeritus (Dr. Harold VanCott retired from his Review Board
position in 1996.
In Jan, 2000, Oxford
Research Institute was corporately transformed into a non profit,
ergonomics safety corporation within the State of
Maryland.
