Michael Madigan named professor of industrial and systems engineering in College of Engineering

Michael Madigan has been appointed as a professor in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, part of the College of Engineering. He is one of 27 new faculty members hired by the college for the 2017-18 academic year.

Madigan's research interests include: occupational biomechanics and ergonomics, slip/trips/falls, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and understanding the biomechanical and functional consequences of aging and obesity. Madigan's recent work focuses on fall prevention in the workplace and among older adults.

Madigan returned to Virginia Tech after having spent three years at Texas A&M University as a professor in their department of biomedical engineering. During his previous tenure at Virginia Tech he was a faculty member in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, now known as the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, beginning in 2001 as an assistant professor and then full professor. Madigan also served as an affiliate faculty member for other departments, including industrial and systems engineering, mechanical engineering, and the Center for Gerontology. Additionally, Madigan was a core member of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences.

“I am thrilled to call ISE my professional home," said Madigan. "From the people in the shop, the computer systems staff, the extended staff in the departmental office, and the faculty, the industrial and systems engineering department is a welcoming, friendly, and inspiring place to work. I have already had the opportunity to meet the advisory board and make additional industry connections, thanks to the outstanding reputation of the department.”

Two of Madigan's students from Texas A&M, Leigh Allin and Jessica Aviles, have followed Madigan to Virginia Tech to finish their Ph.D. degree programs. Both Allin and Aviles have degrees from Virginia Tech. Their current research interests focus on understanding factors that contribute to slips, trips, and falls, and developing practical interventions for fall prevention.

Madigan received his bachelor's and master's degrees in bioengineering from Texas A&M in 1994 and 1996, respectively, and a doctoral in biomedical engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2001.

Written by Akiko Nakata and Rhonda Hawley