Cognitive Ergonomics Laboratory

The Cognitive Ergonomics Laboratory was established at North Carolina State University in 1992. The laboratory was located in Poe Hall on the main campus with Dr. Michael S. Wogalter as the director. The lab was dedicated to conduct research in the area of cognitive ergonomics while training students to become the research scientists and human factors practitioners of tomorrow. The lab became virtual with no physical presence starting in the Spring of 2013.

Mission Statement

To conduct research in and associated with cognitive ergonomics while training students to become research scientists and human factors practitioners.

Selected Books

Video Lecture

Poe Hall’s Closure

Since the Cognitive Ergonomics Lab went virtual in 2013, there has been news about the physical building that once housed the Lab.  In November 2023, Poe Hall was locked up and it remains closed.  Faculty, Students, and Staff, their offices and labs, and classes have been dispersed to various locations around the NC State University campus.  The Psychology Department will not return to Poe Hall; the Department will be reassembled into a different building after a renovation of that building is completed (projected in 2026).  The reason for Poe Hall’s closure is that airborne hazardous chemicals, collectively called, PCBs, with known carcinogenic effects have been found in and around the ventilation system.  A “cancer cluster” has been reported among a group of current and former workers (faculty, staff, and possibly students).  Swab-sample testing from various surfaces around the building have detected presence of the chemicals. Some findings are public record.  The extent of the danger, the correlation with health effects, and testing methods are in dispute.  PCBs were commonly used in insulation at the time Poe Hall was built, but are banned from use in current construction.  The Raleigh, NC TV station, WRAL has been covering the story.  Search the WRAL.com website for more information.