Industry-Sponsored Research Award
2024 Awardee
Please join us in congratulating the 2024 San José State University Research Foundation (SJSURF) Early Career Investigator Award (ECIA) and the Industry-Sponsored Researcher Award (ISRA) recipients.
These distinguished faculty members will be honored at the upcoming 2025 Celebration of Research, taking place Thursday, April 24, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Diaz Compean Student Union. This annual event also highlights the outstanding accomplishments of faculty and student researchers across campus. Register here to attend.
Reward and Recognition
The award recipient will receive a commemorative trophy, a cash award of $5,000, and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. The award will be presented at the Celebration of Researchon on Thursday, April 24, 2025. A profile of each recipient’s accomplishments will be announced to faculty and staff via email, and featured on the Research Foundation’s website and in the Research Foundation’s Annual Report. This information may also be publicized in university media.
2024 ISRA Awardee
Dr. Anil R. Kumar
Professor
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering
Dr. Anil R. Kumar is being recognized with the 2024 Industry-Sponsored Researcher Award for his innovative work on well-being and trust in automated mobility. A member of the SJSU faculty since 2015, Dr. Kumar investigates how human interaction with autonomous systems impacts emotional well-being, satisfaction, and trust. His research bridges human factors engineering and psychological measurement, using tools such as eye tracking and galvanic skin response to assess human reactions to autonomous vehicles. In partnership with industry sponsors, Dr. Kumar has helped design studies that yield real-world insights for the future of automated transportation. He has authored 14 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as Human Factors, Applied Ergonomics, and Transportation Research Record, and regularly mentors students through experiential research. His work has also shaped multiple academic programs at SJSU, including a master’s concentration in UX and custom learning programs for industry leaders such as KLA and LAM Research. Dr. Kumar’s collaborative, cross-sector approach highlights the value of academic-industry partnerships in advancing both research and workforce readiness.
Past ISRA Awardee
Congratulations to all of our previous recipients.
