SUNY Canton Shares Semester with German Fulbright Scholar, Ergonomics Expert

An international faculty member shared his professional industry experience with SUNY Canton’s Graphic and Multimedia Design and Engineering Technology programs during the Fall semester.

Johannes Brombach, Ph.D., a professor for work science and ergonomics from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany, split his time teaching and conducting research at SUNY Canton and Clarkson University during the fall semester. Brombach came to the U.S. through a highly-prestigious Fulbright Scholarship.

SUNY Canton Visiting Scholar Johannes Brombach, Ph.D., a professor for work science and ergonomics from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany, taught ergonomics, biomechanics and project management at SUNY Canton and Clarkson University through a Fulbright Scholarship.

“What I like the most is the variety and diversity of the SUNY Canton’s student population,” He said. “No matter where you are from, when you are at Canton, you are at home. I felt like I was welcome here from the very first day.”

At SUNY Canton, Brombach taught the college’s multimedia project design course, where he encouraged the students to look at their overall assigned project as a series of planned and actionable smaller tasks. He also taught a course in ergonomics, where he drew upon his background in workplace efficiency and risk assessment to help plan for further expansions in the college’s 3D printing workshop.

“I was exposed to many years of project management in industry,” Brombach said. “I encouraged students to set obtainable goals, and to follow through on all of the steps involved in reaching those goals.”

Student projects included marketing the college’s Roo Life student portal, which allows access to student activities events and important announcements, in addition to working with the college’s Diversity Center.

At Clarkson, Brombach taught biomechanics and ergonomics. He conducted scientific research into risk analysis for spinal injuries with Laurel Kuxhaus, Ph.D, Clarkson's Associate Professor for the Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering department. Previously, he’s studied lighting conditions in industry as well as conducting an evaluation of motion and posture with an ergonomics risk assessment in automotive manufacturing settings.

Matthew J. Burnett, a professor who teaches in the Graphic and Multimedia Design program, participated in a similar exchange program in Munich last year, where he conducted research into artistic and technological applications of 3D printing, Biomimicry and Sustainability.