AFIT faculty member selected for 2015 AETC Officer Educator of the Year Award

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Maj. Christina Rusnock, Assistant Professor of Systems Engineering within the Graduate School of Engineering and Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology, was selected as the 2015 Air Education and Training Command's Officer Educator of the Year for her significant contributions to AETC's educational mission during the academic year.

"It is a great honor to receive this award. Even though I am the one receiving this recognition, these accomplishments are actually shared accomplishmenta with my colleagues and students at AFIT. We are a team and our research contributions are a collective effort," stated Rusnock. 

As an assistant professor at AFIT, Rusnock's research interests include human performance modeling, mental workload, situational awareness, and trust, with a focus on human-machine interaction. She is a member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. She enjoys teaching because it allows her to continually share her knowledge and expertise with her peers.

"The students are amazing. They are attentive, hard-working, and the best of the best. I truly believe I have one of the best jobs in the Air Force," said Rusnock.

Rusnock was personally responsible for over $150,000 in research grants, one book, three peer-reviewed journal articles, 18 conference papers, and 19 academic posters including "Best Paper" and "Best Poster" awards. She has served as the thesis advisor for seven Systems Engineering master's students. She is the Program Chair for the Systems Engineering Distance Learning (SE DL) Program, which includes two Master's programs and two graduate certificates and has been the SE DL academic advisor for over 100 current and graduated students. She has also developed and taught courses in the domain of human factors and human performance, which received high praise from students and brought cutting-edge topics and research into the classroom.

In addition, Rusnock leads AFIT's science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) outreach efforts. Recently she led AFIT's National Engineers Week Committee which fostered collaboration across the Wright-Patterson technical community and helped to promote interest in STEM fields to over 800 students in the Dayton region. 

Rusnock is also an alumna of AFIT earning her master's degree in Research and Development Management from the Department of Systems and Engineering Management in 2008. She graduated as a distinguished graduate and earned the prestigious "Mervin E. Gross Award" for academic achievement. In 2013, she earned a PhD in Industrial Engineering, with a Human Factors and Ergonomics Specialty from the University of Central Florida.