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Human Factors Engineer at NAVAIR
Ridgecrest, California

“I design parts of the user interface on the F/A-18 fighter jet by merging the desires of aircrew with the abilities of engineers,” says De Haan. “Much of my job is facilitating discussion among team members, while also doing my own research, in order to deliver the best design possible.”

According to De Haan, Dordt’s engineering program prepared him in ways that he didn’t anticipate. “Assignments and ways for approaching problems that seemed tedious at the time have become the most valuable tools I have available,” says De Haan. “For example, in Dr. Frisch's capstone Biomedical Engineering class we learned about how to read scientific journal articles and conduct literature reviews. At the time, the process was long and didn't seem to yield much fruit. However, now that I've entered a field which is still maturing and developing the ability to more efficiently gain an understanding of the state of the field has been invaluable.”