Don Chaffin, R.G. Snyder Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan, is a pioneering figure in Engineering, particularly in occupational biomechanics and ergonomics. He received his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) in 1962, M.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toledo in 1964, and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1967. After serving as Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Kansas Medical Center (1967-1968), he joined the University of Michigan faculty as Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering in 1968, advancing to Professor in 1973. Chaffin chaired the Industrial and Operations Engineering department in 1979, during which he co-founded the Center for Ergonomics—the first and largest academic center of its kind. He also held the G. Lawton and Louise G. Johnson Endowed Professorship starting in 1993 and was appointed to the R.G. Snyder Distinguished University Professorship in 2004.

Chaffin's research has profoundly impacted workplace safety and design. As a Ph.D. student, he developed a 2D biomechanical model predicting back stress from lifting. He led efforts to create strength databases from over 3,000 participants and the widely licensed 3D Static Strength Prediction Program (3DSSPP) software. In 1998, he founded the Human Motion Simulation (HuMoSim) Laboratory. His seminal textbook, Occupational Biomechanics (2006 edition), and other works such as "A longitudinal study of low-back pain as associated with occupational weight lifting factors" (1973) have garnered thousands of citations. Among numerous honors, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1994, named a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society in 1986, received the Paul M. Fitts Outstanding Educator Award in 1990, and the Pioneer in the Field Award in 2010. Through training programs, his work has educated thousands and contributed to dramatic declines in workplace injuries.

Professional Email: dchaffin@umich.edu