Dr. Kermit Davis is the President of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. He became a Fellow of HFES in 2013. His research has gained national and international recognition by receiving prestigious awards including: Volvo Award in Low Back Pain Research in Biomechanical Studies for the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (2002), Alice Hamilton Award in Human Services (2003), Liberty Mutual Prize for the International Ergonomic Society (2003) and Promising Young Investigator Award from International Society of Biomechanics (2005), and runner up for Human Factor Prize (2012). Dr. Davis is the graduate program director of the Environmental and Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Safety and Ergonomics programs. His current research is focusing on the investigation of the effect of physical workplace demands as well as mental workload on the responses within the lower back. He has published numerous articles about the impact of workplace stressors on the lower back including studies evaluating warehousing, construction, restaurants, patient handling, alternative modes of handling (e.g. team lifting, one hand lifting, pushing/pulling), injured populations, and ergonomic interventions (e.g. back belts, lifting hoists, adjustable fork lifts). Recent years, Dr. Davis has concentrated on the reducing ergonomic stressors of healthcare workers and patients in healthcare settings (e.g. hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health care).