Professor Yehuda Badichi
Lecturer in Ergonomics Engineering
Machon Lev

Sitting at his desk, Professor Yehuda Badichi compiles a list of various items around him, each the result of engineering. It is rarely appreciated, but nearly everything around us, every chair, desk, or telephone is the result of engineering efforts. Thus the human factor - ergonomics - must be taken into account when designing objects that people use.

For example: A medical school graduate with no practical experience is thrust in the middle of a battle zone to provide medical treatment to wounded soldiers. He faces six seriously hurt soldiers and must make quick life or death decisions. He not only must have the medical expertise but the wherewithal to to cope in a traumatic situation. Badichi's work can help medical school graduates handle such situations, supplying both educational and psychological tools.

Professor Badichi obtained his BA. and MA. in Psychology from Bar Ilan University before returning to yeshiva for a few years. He served as psychologist in the Selection and Placement Department of the Israel Defense Forces, where he decided to change course in his professional life. After taking preparatory engineering courses at the Technion, he entered a doctorate program in in human factor engineering and subsequently returned to the army to research the human aspects of of machinery and equipment use as well as as managing risk on army maneuvers.

In the army he concentrated on simulator development that utilized virtual reality in various scenarios. He then taught computer programming, psychology and ergonomics engineering at various institutions before coming to JCT. He combines his expertise to teach ergonomics, organizational psychology, and consumer behavior courses and is working on major plans for JCT.

One of his current projects is a Safety and Risk Management research Center at JCT, primarily to focus on reducing traffic accidents, preventing medical and nursing errors, and managing risk taking at army maneuvers  to help reduce accidents. Professor Badichi intends that such a center will incorporate engineering and management factors though projects centered around investigating human resources, including man-machine interface, testing the infrastructure (including physical and mechanical components), and exploring organizational conditions (rules and regulations). The educational benefits: this top-flight research center would provide students, faculty and the high-tech industry with expertise in various engineering areas such as physics, electronics, electro-optic engineering and ergonomics, as well as vital management areas including Decision Making Modeling and Risk Taking. Such is the Professor's goal for JCT: to provide students with the best education coupled with hands on experience to ensure that they graduate with the ability to be innovative members of their chosen fields.

Other outstanding faculty profiles: 
Dr. Tirza Hirst
Dr. Ivy Kidron
Dr. Shlomo Engelberg