Lab Members

Dr. Faisal Aqlan, Lab Director

Associate Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering.

Director of Engineering Management programs.

Co-director of Center for Organizational Readiness towards Enterprise 4.0 (CORE4.0).

Director of Beyond Reality Center (BRC).

Director of Center for Human Systems Engineering (CHSE).

Dr. Aqlan earned his Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Binghamton University in 2013. Prior to joining the University of Louisville, he held positions at Penn State University, the University of New Haven, IBM Corporation, and Innovation Associates Company. He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM), and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES). Dr. Aqlan’s research interests include human systems engineering, simulation and automation, process improvement, sensor-based modeling, extended reality, and engineering education. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Engineering Information Foundation (EiF), and industry, with total funding exceeding $4.5 million.

Benarji Valavala, Reserach Scientist

Khalid Bello, Research Scientist

Khalid Bello is a PhD student in the Industrial & Systems Engineering department at the University of Louisville, where he serves as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Aqlan Lab. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Production Engineering from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khalid’s research focuses on the intersection of extended reality and physiological analytics, with applications spanning manufacturing and healthcare. His work explores how immersive technologies and human-centered data can be leveraged to enhance performance, safety, and decision-making in complex systems. Khalid's Google Scholar.

Rumena Begum, Doctoral Student

Rumena Begum is a PhD student in the Industrial & Systems Engineering department at the University of Louisville, where she serves as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Aqlan Lab. She holds a Master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Montana State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Production Engineering. Her research focuses on human–machine teaming, virtual reality applications, and physiological analytics. Rumena's Google Scholar.