Louis E Freund

Louis E. Freund is a Professor in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at San José State University (SJSU) and Director of the Graduate Program in Human Factors and Ergonomics. He joined SJSU in 1986, becoming a full Professor in 1992. His roles include teaching, research, and leadership in interdisciplinary programs.

Education: Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1969).

Research Interests: Focuses on human factors engineering, healthcare systems optimization, process control models in healthcare, workplace design, and systems simulation. Notable contributions include developing patient classification systems for hemodialysis and nurse staffing methodologies.

Professional Activities: Founded the Silicon Valley Ergonomics Institute (1992) and organized ErgoCon conferences. Served as President of the Society for Health Systems (SHS) and on boards of HIMSS and ORSA. Currently holds IIE Region VII Vice President position.

Awards: 1992 SHS Special Citation for contributions to healthcare industrial engineering.

Consulting & Industry Experience: Worked at Medicus Systems Corporation (1975-1982), leading healthcare management projects. Conducted independent consulting on hospital operations and nurse staffing (1982-1986). Collaborated with MECON Associates on healthcare systems analysis using PEERx databases.

Labs & Initiatives: Spearheaded the SJSU MS program in Human Factors/Ergonomics and the Silicon Valley Ergonomics Institute, fostering research and applications in ergonomics.