CBM Lunch and Learn: Human Factors Engineering in Cybersecurity: Getting Well Requires Taking the Medicine

Cybersecurity failures are frequently attributed to “human error,” followed by awareness training and stricter controls that treat symptoms rather than causes. Human Factors Engineering (HFE) is the medicine cybersecurity needs: a scientific, evidence-based discipline that explains why failures occur in sociotechnical systems and prescribes design and operational interventions that measurably reduce risk. This presentation argues that cybersecurity cannot “get well” without systematically applying HFE to align tools, workflows, and decision environments with human capabilities and limitations. Using methods such as task and workflow analysis, usability evaluation, workload and fatigue assessment, and error-oriented design, the talk demonstrates how HFE addresses alert fatigue, unsafe workarounds, tool misuse, privilege mismanagement, and time-pressured decision errors. The session concludes with an implementation pathway for embedding HFE into security engineering lifecycles, defining human performance metrics, and establishing governance that treats human-centered design as a core security control.

Join us via Zoom.

Dr. Calvin Nobles, a native of Mount Vernon, Georgia, is the portfolio vice president and dean of the School of Cybersecurity and Information Technology at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). With more than three decades of distinguished leadership spanning cybersecurity, the financial sector, academia, and military service, Dr. Nobles is widely regarded as a visionary leader dedicated to advancing STEM education through experiential learning. A retired U.S. Navy Commander, he has served as a Cybersecurity Policy Fellow at Harvard University and a Cybersecurity Fellow at the New America Think Tank in Washington, D.C., and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading researchers in human factors engineering for cybersecurity.

Before joining UMGC, Dr. Nobles served as Department Chair for Information Technology and Management at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he led transformative initiatives that elevated the department’s national profile. His leadership earned him the 2023 Dean’s Award for Distinguished Service and Leadership, and during his tenure, Illinois Tech’s Online Master’s in Cybersecurity Program achieved a national ranking of No. 18 in Fortune magazine. He forged partnerships with industry leaders, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, opening pathways for students to secure competitive career opportunities.

A prolific scholar and sought-after speaker, Dr. Nobles’ work on human factors engineering in cybersecurity emphasizes the vital role of human behavior and performance in complex cybersecurity and digital ecosystems. His personal story is featured in Black Men Changing the Narrative Through Education, and his influence is further reflected in his recognition as a 2024 Doctors of Excellence Honoree by Black Leaders Worldwide. In 2025, he was honored with the Temple University Fox School of Business Executive DBA Alumni Leadership Award, and in 2026, he received the Malcolm Baldrige Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence in Cybersecurity. Beyond academia, he serves as a board member and chairs the Education Committee for the National Cryptologic Foundation. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Cybersecurity Association, Inc., and on the board for Maryland Cyber Trust. He serves on the Maryland State Cybersecurity Council, working with state legislators and government officials to protect the state’s critical cybersecurity and digital infrastructure.

Dr. Nobles’ academic credentials are as diverse as they are impressive. He holds four doctoral degrees: PhD in Management and Engineering Technology, PhD in Human Factors, PhD in Offensive Cyber Engineering, and Doctor of Business Administration, along with graduate degrees in Aeronautical Science, Business Administration, Information Systems Security, and Military Strategy and Operational Art, as well as an undergraduate degree in Business Management. These achievements reflect his multidisciplinary expertise, intellectual rigor, and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Metro’s Career Competency Presentation Focus

Innovation and Creativity and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving.

Lunch and Learn is part of an ongoing monthly series of presentations and discussions hosted by the College of Business and Management. This conversation is open to all educators, administrators, instructional designers, and students of Minnesota State Education System.

Meet new faculty, gather with long-time friends from across Minnesota State, and bring your questions and ideas to these monthly gatherings, which will include a presentation and possibly opportunities for both large and small group discussions. For additional information please contact the organizers, Dr. Erica Berte or Dr. Foluso Ayeni.