RODGER JOSEPH KOPPA, P.E.

Associate Professor Emeritus - Industrial Engineering Dept

Past Program Manager and Division Head, Human Factors, Texas Transportation Institute       

Initial Appointment Date: August 1982, Associate Professor

Initial Appointment Date, TTI: January 1973

Teaching Experience

Visiting Associate Professor, Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M University, Spring 2003

Visiting Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University Summer 2002

Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M University 1982-2001

Lecturer, Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1979-1982

Research Experience

Manager, Human Factors Program, 1976 - 1991; 1995 - 2001

Head, Human Factors Division, Texas Transportation Institute, 1976‑1991.

Associate Research Engineer, Texas Transportation Institute, 1979‑Present.

Assistant Research Specialist, Texas Transportation Institute, 1973‑1979.

Industrial Experience

Specialist, General Electric Co., Houston, Texas 1967‑1972.

Specialist, Life Systems, LTV Aerospace Corp., Missile and Space Division, 1967.

Lead Engineer, LTV Aerospace Corp., Missile and Space Division, 1964‑1967.

Engineer, LTV Aerospace Corp, Missile and Space Division 1961‑1964.

Professional Licenses and Certifications

Registered Professional Engineer, Texas  #50620

Certified Human Factors Professional (National) #191

Principal Publications of Last Five Years

Koppa, R.J. Adaptive Equipment to Enhance Older Driver Performance Southwest Region University Transportation Center, Texas Transportation Institute Report No. SWUTC/01/167124-1, August 2001

Koppa, R.J. "Human Factors" Chapter 3 of: Gartner, N.H., Messer, C.J. and Rathi, A.K. (Eds) Traffic Flow Theory Transportation Research Board Monograph, National Research Council, Washington DC 2000 (on Web; hardcopy publication date, 2003)

Fambro, D.B., Koppa, R., Picha, D. and Fitzpatrick, K. "Driver Braking Performance in Stopping Sight Distance Situations" Transportation Research Circular Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington DC 1997

Fambro, D.B., Fitzpatrick, K. and Koppa, R. "A New Stopping Sight Distance Model for Use in Highway Geometric Design" Transportation Research Circular Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington DC 1997

Koppa, R.J., Fambro, D.B. and Zimmer, R.A. "Measuring Driver Performance in Braking Maneuvers"  Transportation Research Record , Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington DC, 1996 

Greene, F.A., Huchingson, R.D., and Koppa, R.J. "Comparison of Simulation and Field Legibility Distances for Symbol Highway Signs" Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 39th Annual Meeting, 1995.

Scientific and Professional Societies

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society‑Fellow

Society of Automotive Engineers‑Member

SAE Committee on Adaptive Device Standards

Subjects Taught This Year

Spring 2003: Industrial Engineering 430: Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics