Director
Dr. Erika E. (Miller) Gallegos
Associate Professor, Systems Engineering Department
Link to Google Scholar | Link to ResearchGate | Link to CV
Dr. Erika Gallegos is an Associate Professor in the Systems Engineering Department at Colorado State University. Her research integrates humans with complex systems to enhance safety, performance, and resilience.
Dr. Gallegos’ work focuses on human-AI teaming and human-machine interaction, with particular interest in developing appropriate trust, maintaining situation awareness, and ensuring ethical and transparent AI decision support. She applies advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques, including deep learning, predictive analytics, and computer vision, to understand and enhance system behavior for human operators.
Her research spans multiple application domains, with a specific focus on transportation systems where AI, automation, and connected technologies present unique challenges for safety, trust, and system design. Collectively, her work aims to create intelligent systems that reliably support human users, improve decision quality, and enable safe and effective adoption of emerging technologies.
Dr. Gallegos holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. She is currently completing an M.S. in Applied Artificial Intelligence from the University of San Diego.
Current Scholars
Dr. Ganesh Pai, Post-Doctoral Fellow (2024-present)
Focus Area: User Experience and Behavior for In-Home Health Interventions
Current Graduate Students
Doctor of Philosophy
Anima Sabale, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Developing Extravehicular Activity Command and Telemetry Capability for Artemis
Brett Payton, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Human Factors of AR/VR Integration in Community Policing: Building Trust and Transparency
Christopher Pastor, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Systems Approach to Identifying and Resolving Failure Modes and Effects Analysis in Generative AI Utilization
Dan Perreault, PhD candidate
Dissertation: A Novel Framework for Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Application in Complex System Design
Eric Stewart, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Acceptance of Self-Driving Vehicles in the United States: Expectations, Willingness to Pay, Supervisory Capability, and Funding Oversight
Flavio Ortolano, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Development of the Human-AI Collaboration Maturity Model (HAIC-MM) for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Georgiy Guralnik, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Human-Centered Quality Culture, Training Effectiveness, and Error Prevention in Advanced Pharmaceutical Systems
Jinman Kim, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Quantifying Fuel Economy and Emissions Benefits from Automated Heavy Vehicles
Joshua Hicks, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Flight Deck Alarm Design for Professional Aviators
Lauren Jurek, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Developing a Civilian Commercial Spaceflight Training Program Using Model-Based Systems Engineering
Marija Krunic, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Design of a Seatbelt Integrated Diaphragm Stimulation Device for Real-Time Driver Stress Regulation
Marshall Huffaker, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Data Governance Framework using the Unified Architecture Framework
Peter Coronado, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Medical Device Ecosystems: A Systems Engineering Approach to Definition, Modeling, and Assessment
Robert Baker, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Electric Vehicle Mission Metrics for Demand Response Decisions in Islanded Microgrids
Ryan Couture, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Predictive Machine Learning to Create Optimized Routes for Delivery and Autonomous Vehicles
Samir Albaroudi, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Human Factors in Medical Imaging Systems
Scott Ledgerwood, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Virtual Reality for Fire Fighter Training
Shawnette Adams, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Interruptions in Veterinary Anesthesia Education: Characterization, Consequences, and Mitigation Approaches
Susan Archer, PhD candidate
Dissertation: Human Factors in General Aviation Accidents: Application of Factor Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling, and Multivariate Analysis of Variance
Doctor of Engineering
Mark Rogers, DEng candidate
Dissertation: Framework for Applying Systems Engineering to Achieve Administrative Efficiency in Regulated Industries
Paul Jenkins, DEng candidate
Dissertation: Data Analytics to Improve Veteran Health Outcomes and Reduce VA Utilization
Master of Science
Chandler Young, MS candidate
Thesis: Evaluating Vehicle Resuspension Emissions Based on Roadway and Vehicle Characteristics
Current Undergraduate Students
Joel Villalobos, SURE Researcher (Spring 2026)
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Leandro Duran, SURE Researcher (Spring 2026)
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Norberto Hinojosa, SURE Researcher (Spring 2026)
Department: Civil Engineering
Alumni
Scholars
Dr. Jubaer Ahmed, Post-Doctoral Fellow (2022-2023)
Focus Area: Influences of Emotional Intelligence on Driver Behavior
Graduate Students
Maryam Gracias, PhD (2026)
Dissertation: A Hybrid Systems Engineering Approach for Managing Compliance and Adaptability in Aerospace And Defense
John Phillips, PhD (2025)
Dissertation: Accelerating Capability to the Fleet: Rapid Fielding of Small Unmanned Surface Vehicles
Panteha (Penny) Alipour, PhD (2025)
Dissertation: Vision Based Artificial Intelligence for Optimizing E-Commerce Experiences in Virtual Reality
Ricole Johnson, PhD (2025)
Dissertation: Evaluating and Enhancing User Trust in Urban Air Mobility Autonomous Passenger Systems
Trevor Lanigan, MS (2025)
Thesis: Factors Influencing Driver Response Toward an Instrument Cluster Cyberattack: Experience, Awareness, and Training
Mounika Makkena, MS (2025)
Project: Design and Implementation of a Unified Data Logging System for PV Manufacturing Processes
Maggie Bauer, ME (2025)
Project: Transportation Infrastructure: A Systems Engineering Approach
Shiva Pourfalatoun, PhD (2024)
Dissertation: Evaluating Micromobility Adoption, Perception, and Implementation
Kenneth (Kenny) Corl, DEng (2024)
Dissertation: Relational and Technological Process Concept Utilizing a Human-in-the-Loop Centered Methodology for USSOCOM
Andrew Watts, MS (2024)
Project: Architecting a Military Engineering Organization Training Interface Using a Systems Engineering Approach
Isaac Spoon, MS (2024)
Project: Residential Use of Natural Gas and the Associated Concerns
Amber Moin, ME (2024)
Project: Pre-Deployment Risk Assessment for Bluehalo BADGER Program
Kaelin Glover, ME (2024)
Project: Risk-Informed Design for Complex Spacecraft
Matthew Chellin, PhD (2023)
Dissertation: Techniques in Reactive to Proactive Obsolescence Management for C5ISR Systems
Michael Botyarov, PhD (2023)
Dissertation: Optimizing Designer Cognition Relative to Generative Design Methods
James Copenhaver, MS (2023)
Project: A Novel Approach to Rocket Engine Alignment
Tim Kemp, MS (2023)
Project: A Systems Engineering Approach to Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategies
Hamza Ahmed, PhD (2022)
Dissertation: Human Systems Integration of Agricultural Machinery in Developing Economy Countries: Sudan as a Case Study
Somayeh Aliebrahimi, MS (2022)
Thesis: Evaluating Factors that Impact Situation Awareness and Takeover Responses During Cyberattacks on Automated Vehicles
Alston Banahan, MS (2022)
Project: The Use of Generators During Power Outages: Designing a Better Interface for Elderly & Physically Impaired Users
Jaciel Espinosa-Severo, MS (2022)
Project: Research Methods: Ubiquity of Autonomous Electric Vehicles
Brice Kipps, MS (2021)
Project: Stall Warning and Prevention System: A System Designed to Precurse Stall Conditions and Prevent Them
James Kirwin, MS (2021)
Project: Quantifying the Performance of the Astro Space Suit
Undergraduate Students
Chandler Young, Intern (Summer 2023)
Department: Mechanical Engineering, University of Jamestown
Tyler Archer, SURE Researcher (Spring 2023)
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Lesley-Ann Knee, BS (2022)
Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Affiliations
We are part of the Colorado State University Systems Engineering Department. We are also affiliated with CSU's Center for Intelligent Transportation Systems and Energy Institute.