Robert Radwin, professor emeritus of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been elected to the 2025 class of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
The lifetime honor, which has been awarded annually since 1874, is bestowed upon AAAS members who are nominated by their peers. Radwin was chosen for making “distinguished contributions to the field of ergonomics, particularly for advancing scientific knowledge about injury causation mechanisms from physical stress exposure in the workplace.”
He is among nearly 500 scientists, engineers and innovators across 24 disciplines in the 2025 class.
“This year’s AAAS Fellows have demonstrated research excellence, made notable contributions to advance science, and delivered important services to their communities, says Sudip S. Parikh, AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “These fellows and their accomplishments validate the importance of investing in science and technology for the benefit of all.”
Radwin joined the UW-Madison faculty in 1987. In addition to his work in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, he was the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering when it launched in 1999.
He established himself as a widely respected researcher in the field of ergonomics, collaborating with industry partners to study the effects of equipment, tools and technology on workers. He is known for introducing innovative methods for measuring and quantifying physical stress in the workplace to prevent injuries. In recent years, Radwin has worked with companies such as Wisconsin-based Mercury Marine, General Motors and Boeing to study the benefits and issues associated with introducing collaborative robots to manufacturing systems.
Among his many professional accolades, he is a fellow of seven other professional societies, including the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. He is the current editor in chief of the journal Human Factors.
Radwin and the rest of the 2025 fellows will be featured in the April 2026 issue of Science magazine and will be recognized at the AAAS Fellows Forum in May 2026 in Washington, D.C.