Systems, Man & Cybernetics - April 2015 - 42

Raja's Life
Biography
◆ Born 2 August 1950 in New Delhi, India
◆ Early education in New Delhi and Mumbai
◆ Bachelor of science degree (first-class honors) in

electrical engineering from Imperial College, University of
London, United Kingdom, 1972
◆ Ph.D. degree in psychology from Aston University,

Birmingham, United Kingdom, 1976
◆ Postdoctorate researcher and lecturer, University of

California at Los Angeles, 1978-1982
◆ Associate and full professor of psychology, Catholic

University of America, 1982-2004
◆ Professor of psychology and human factors and

applied cognition and director, Center of Excellence in
Neuroergonomics, Technology, and Cognition, George
Mason University, 2004-2015
◆ Died 22 March 2015 in Falls Church, Virginia.

◆ Named fellow of the International Ergonomics Society,

2006
◆ Paul M. Fitts Education Award, Human Factors and

Ergonomics Society, 2006
◆ Distinguished Service Award, National Research Council,

National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C., 2008
◆ Admiral Kollmorgen Spirit of Innovation Award for

Contributions to Neuroergonomics, Augmented Cognition
Technical Group, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society,
2010
◆ Pioneer in Human-Automation Research Award,

Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making Technical Group, Human Factors, and Ergonomics Society,
2011
◆ Outstanding Educator Award, International Ergonomics

Association Triennial Award, 2012
◆ Celebration of Scholarship Award for Directorship of

CENTEC and Outstanding Professional Achievement and
Professional Honors

Dedication to George Mason University, 2012.

◆ Named fellow of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 1983
◆ Named fellow of the American Psychological Society and

American Psychological Association (Division 1, 3, and
21), 1991
◆ Named fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics

Society, 1994
◆ Named fellow of the American Association for the

Advancement of Science, 1994
◆ Scientific Achievement Award for Contributions to Human

Performance and Automation Control, Tidewater Human
Factors and Ergonomics Society, Norfolk, 1998
◆ Chair, Committee on Human Factors, National Research

Council, National Academy of Sciences, 2001
◆ Franklin V. Taylor Award for Lifetime Achievement in

Applied-Experimental and Engineering Psychology,
American Psychological Association (Division 21), 2004.

More About Raja
◆ C u r r i c u l u m v i ta e. [ O n l i n e ] . Ava i l a b l e : h t t p : / /

s3.amazonaws.com/chssweb/cvs/641/original/
RajaParasuraman2014.pdf
Obituaries
◆ [Online]. Available: http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/

dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Raja-Parasuraman&lc
=1144&pid=174475499&mid=6374900
◆ [Online]. Available: http://southdakota.obituaries.funeral.

com/2015/03/27/dr-raja-parasuraman/
Eulogies and Memorials
◆ [ O n l i n e ] . Ava i l a b l e : h t t p : / / w w w. h fe s. o rg / we b /

HFESBulletin/April2015RajaEulogy.html
◆ [Online]. Available: http://psychology.gmu.edu/about/

in-memoriam.

Transactions on Systems, Man, and
to the publication of comprehensive
Cybernetics-Part A: Systems and
review and guidelines for air traffic
Humans [7]. The paper revolutionized
control [6].
the field by providing a new paradigm
It was one of Raja's gifts to help
for characterizing human-automaothers feel his sense of calling and
tion interaction. It not only called
mission. And yet, he was ever a gentle,
attention to weaknesses in Sheridan
kind, open, and even humble prophet.
and Verplank's [8],
While he published
[9] traditional, unirarely in the transThis vision gave
dimensional "levactions, one of
els-of-automation"
his most seminal
my growing love
spectrum, but it propapers, "A Model for
and respect for my
vided a solution. The
Types and Levels of
newfound field an
proposed alternaHuman Interaction
element of zeal.
tive was a practical,
with Automation,"
yet theor y-based,
appeared in IEEE
42

IEEE Systems, Man, & Cybernetics Magazine A pr il 2015

two-dimensional (2-D) model contrasting system autonomy level with
a functional task phase or step within
which that autonomy was exercised.
This model has now seeded more than
a decade of research and insights into
human-automation systems.
The paper was clearly an example
of a successful scientific paradigm
shift that highlights Raja's insights
and influence. Beyond that, though,
it also shows his ability to cooperate
with other leaders in the field, coordinating viewpoints to strengthen
a finding and theory. I've always admired Sheridan's willingness in that

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Systems, Man & Cybernetics - April 2015