Megan France-Peterson
Human Factors and Systems Safety Research
Megan France-Peterson conducts research in the areas of human factors and system safety. She graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where her research focused on human factors applications of system safety analyses. She currently works at the US DOT Volpe Center where she researches rail human factors.
Research Areas
Rail Operations
Megan has been researching rail systems for over 6 years, including examining causes of run-through switches, developing a good practice guide for preventing stop signal overruns, and examining hazards associated with the use of automation in track inspection.
She currently serves as Secretary of the Transportation Research Board's Rail Operational Safety Committee (AR070).
For more information, see Publications.
System Safety
Megan studied system safety at Massachusetts Institute of Technology under Dr. Nancy Leveson, and graduated with a masters degree in 2017.
Her masters thesis presented a method for incorporating human factors guidance into a systems-theory based hazard analysis method, STPA.
For more information, see STAMP and STPA.
Human-Machine Interaction
Megan graduated from Tufts University in 2015 with a bachelors degree in Human Factors Engineering, providing a strong background in human-machine interaction and user centered design of automation.
She has worked on transportation projects involving these issues across modes, including automotive, aviation, and rail.