Professors at The University of Texas at El Paso have launched a new industrial engineering lab focused on supporting human performance and behavior in various application areas. Projects include supportive exoskeletons for high-strain occupations and virtual reality that simulates high-stress environments. The project is led by Priyadarshini Pennathur, Ph.D. (third from left), and Arunkumar Pennathur, Ph.D. (third from right), researchers in UTEP's College of Engineering, pictured here with some of the students who also do research in the new lab.

Laura Tovar, a graduate student in the UTEP College of Engineering, interacting with an immersive virtual environment designed to simulate high-stress work environments, including emergency rooms, disaster zones, warehouses and greenspaces. The work takes place in a new lab led by Priyadarshini Pennathur, Ph.D., and Arunkumar Pennathur, Ph.D. (both not pictured), researchers in UTEP's College of Engineering.