2026 Conference Speaker Profiles

Dr. Jack Callaghan is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. He is Director of the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) and holds the Canada Research Chair in Spine Biomechanics and Injury Prevention. Dr. Callaghan is a Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist (CCPE), is cross-appointed to Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, and received the Career Award from the Canadian Society for Biomechanics in 2014. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Ottawa and his masters and doctorate degrees at the University of Waterloo where he specialized in spinal biomechanics. His research is concerned with the etiology of spine injuries at the tissue level from exposure to cumulative loading scenarios and has been funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). He has collaborated and consulted with a wide range of industrial partners, including automotive and office furniture manufacturing companies. He is the past president of the Canadian Society for Biomechanics and was inducted as a fellow in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2021.

Dr. Steven Fischer is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. He is Associate Director, Research of the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) and Executive Director of the Centre for Community, Clinical and Applied Research Excellence (CCCARE). He leads the Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomics Lab (OBEL), where his research focuses on workplace health, injury prevention, and human performance. Dr. Fischer collaborates with industry and community partners to develop evidence-based solutions that improve safety and well-being. Committed to training highly qualified personnel, he integrates research, teaching, and mentorship to prepare students for impactful careers in health, ergonomics, and innovation.

Nicole Ervin, CPE, Director of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics at GE Appliances, a Haier Company has led a diverse and cross functional team to influence part and process design to optimize operator effectiveness and wellbeing for new product launches and current operations.  These efforts have yielded dramatic decreases of ergonomics injuries and related costs in the last several years. She holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Louisville, and an M.S. in Applied Exercise Science from Concordia University Chicago. She received her Certified Professional Ergonomist credential in 2025. She also serves on the Industry Advisory Board for the University of Louisville’s Industrial and Systems Engineering Department. In her leisure time, she loves to travel with her family and loves to preserve memories through scrapbooking.

Ryan Porto is a Technical Specialist in Global Manufacturing and Ergonomics at General Motors. Mr. Porto received a Bachelor of Human Kinetics and a Masters in Human Performance from the University of Windsor in Canada. Ryan has over 20 years of experience working with design and manufacturing engineering, managing ergonomic requirements, and supporting new program launches in all sectors of the vehicle development including vehicle assembly, powertrain, and EV. Ryan was also the special assigned Ergonomist on the General Motors-Ventec critical care Ventilator program in 2020.

Since his career began at General Motors, Ryan has been the Subject Matter Expert in Digital Human Modelling and has led the advancement of virtual human simulation in Product and Manufacturing for GM’s Global Ergonomics program. For the past 10 years, he has led the development and implementation of evolving wearable technologies and manages the Research in Ergonomics at GM.

Dr. Ram Maikala is a Subject Matter Expert and Program Technical Consultant at the National Safety Council's MSD Solutions Lab, where he has led innovative efforts to advance workplace ergonomics and prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) since November 2021. The MSD Solutions Lab focuses on transforming workplace injury prevention through data-driven strategies, collaborative partnerships, and frontline worker engagement. Prior to joining the National Safety Council, Dr. Maikala served for seven years as an Injury Prevention and Ergonomics Program Specialist at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, where he developed and delivered training programs on safe patient handling and mobility and supported injury prevention initiatives across the healthcare system. Before joining Providence in October 2014, Dr. Maikala was a Research Scientist at the Center for Physical Ergonomics, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, where he spent nearly 13 years conducting research on work physiology, human performance, and musculoskeletal injury prevention. His work focused on understanding the impact of workplace exposures on worker health and performance using non-invasive physiological assessment methods. Across his career, Dr. Maikala has combined scientific research, practical program implementation, and strategic leadership to help organizations reduce injury risk, improve worker wellbeing, and advance evidence-based ergonomics practices.

Ram currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Ergonomics in Design. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) in 2023 and was named a Science Policy Fellow by HFES in 2022. Ram holds a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Alberta, Canada; an M.S. in Industrial Engineering with a specialization in Ergonomics and Safety Engineering from West Virginia University, USA; and a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Osmania University, India.

Brent Bowers is the Ergonomics Program Manager for John Deere. He has responsibility for developing standards, guidelines, and training materials to aid engineers and safety professionals in applying ergonomics principles in product, equipment, and workstation design. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Idaho, and an M.S. in Safety and Ergonomics from the University of Utah as a NIOSH Fellowship Recipient. Mr. Bowers has worked for more than 30 years in the semiconductor, automotive and heavy equipment manufacturing industries in a variety of design, ergonomics, and safety roles. Mr. Bowers is a participant in the National Safety Council MSD Solutions Lab Advisory Council.

Kelly Hogan, CCPE is the Director of Injury Prevention Services at Sandalwood Engineering & Ergonomics (Sandalwood of Canada). She holds both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Kinesiology, specializing in Biomechanics, from the University of Waterloo. With more than 20 years of experience in ergonomics, Kelly has worked across a wide range of industries, including automotive manufacturing, food manufacturing, technology, nuclear, and office environments. From 2008 to 2015, she held leadership roles at BlackBerry, serving as Senior Manager, Global Facilities Governance and Workplace Designs, and Global Manager, EHS Programs. In these roles, she developed and implemented global ergonomic standards, processes, procedures, and workplace design initiatives.

Following her return to consulting, Kelly joined Sandalwood Engineering & Ergonomics, where she leads a team of ergonomists and safety professionals across Canada and the United States. She specializes in ergonomics, injury prevention, and the evaluation and implementation of workplace technologies that reduce risk and improve employee well-being. Kelly supports clients across numerous sectors, including automotive, chemical, logistics, general manufacturing, and automotive research organizations.

Kelly is passionate about developing effective, innovative, and systems-based solutions that enhance workplace productivity, efficiency, safety, and worker well-being.

Bryan Reich is the Senior Vice President of Programs and Operations at WorkCare, a leading US-based occupational health organization. A nationally recognized expert in ergonomics, technology, musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) prevention, and workforce well-being, Bryan leads the development and deployment of an innovative injury prevention and employee health program serving organizations across a diverse range of industries. His background includes Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Kinesiology from California State University, Fresno and the University of Texas at Tyler, as well as advanced graduate certificate in Ergonomics through the University of California, Berkeley’s program. He is a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist and is pursuing the HFES Board Certified Professional Ergonomist certification.

With more than 20 years of experience spanning sports medicine, occupational health, and industrial injury prevention, Bryan has helped organizations improve employee health outcomes, reduce injury risk, and strengthen workforce engagement through proactive prevention strategies. Prior to joining WorkCare almost 8 years ago, he led ergonomics and MSD prevention programs for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), one of the largest utility organizations in the United States for 5 years. Bryan currently serves as a subject matter expert supporting the National Safety Council's MSD Solutions Lab and is a recognized speaker and industry thought leader, he regularly presents on ergonomics, emerging technologies, job analysis, injury prevention, and total employee health strategies, sharing practical and evidence-based approaches to improving workforce safety, health, and performance.