Corporate Experience
Principal
Applied Psychology, Santa Cruz, CA 1990-2008
As an independent consultant, I designed, developed and delivered programs to reduce the risk of corporate employees becoming victims of violence while traveling. And for travel providers, I designed and developed C.H.A.R.M. School, a program to manage passenger/customer hostility and rage.
Sample projects:
- Designed disruptive passenger management training program for flight attendants (Client: ATA Airlines)
- Generated travel component for corporate security program (Partner: Gavin de Becker and Associates)
- Authored three books on travel safety and health (Self-published: Applied Psychology Press)
Behavioral Sciences Group Leader
FMC Corporation, Santa Clara, CA 1982-1990
As an in-house consultant, I performed testing and research and worked closely with company engineering and legal staffs on dozens of projects to assure that new products and new process systems could be efficiently and safely operated and maintained by the ultimate users.
Sample projects:
- Produced pressroom computer graphics to minimize downtime (Client: Fort Worth Star Telegram)
- Designed citrus processing plant controls and displays for rapid user adaptation (Client: Citrus World)
- Redesigned chemical plant displays to satisfy operational and engineering requirements (Client: FMC)
I lead a company-wide engineering management audit, oversaw the company’s innovation program and taught human factors training courses aimed at increasing corporate efficiencies and/or reducing costs.
Human Factors Group Leader
Harris Corporation, Melbourne, FL 1977-1982
I was responsible for enhancing the performance of government/military electronic systems by capitalizing on the capabilities, and mitigating the shortcomings, of their human operators.
Sample projects:
- Designed weather information system displays to increase forecasting accuracy (Client: U.S. Air Force)
- Identified personnel characteristics to prevent confederates from boarding ships (Client: U.S. Navy)
- Identified passive methods to spot potential terrorists (Client: U.S. Defense Special Weapons Agency)
Senior Psychologist
Honeywell International, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 1974-1977
I was responsible for the testing and psychological evaluation of emerging electronic display technology. Working in the Flight Dynamics Laboratory, my research addressed fighter-pilot performance using advanced display technology. I supervised in-house laboratory and simulation tests and represented the Air Force in consultation with other firms working under the Advanced Development Program directive.
Sample projects:
- Established perceptual criteria for cockpit displays (Client: U.S. Air Force)
- Tested/recommended dot-matrix fonts resistant to degradation of readability (Client: U.S. Air Force)
- Tested multiple imaging phenomena of LED’s viewed under vibration (Client: U.S. Air Force)
Education
- Ph.D. Cognitive Psychology, Iowa State University
- M.S. Cognitive Psychology, Iowa State University
- B.A. Psychology, California State University at Fullerton
Academic Experience
- Adjunct faculty, Rollins College
- Adjunct faculty, Florida Institute of Technology
- Adjunct faculty, University of Dayton
- Instructor, Iowa State University
Research
- Riley, T.M. Effectiveness of often occurring warning devices. Sponsor: Craig Stone, Esq., 1991.
- Riley, T.M. Perception of danger by children. Sponsor: Craig Stone, Esq., 1991.
- Riley, T.M. Effectiveness of warning labels. FMC Corporation Technical Report, 1987.
- Riley, T.M. The psychological impact of an automatic ammunition handling system in a main battle tank. FMC Central Engineering Laboratories Technical Report, 1986.
- Riley, T.M. Delay between auditory warning and equipment activation. FMC Corporation, Material Handling Division Technical Report, 1985.
- Riley, T.M. A (false) sense of security as a function of omitted alarms and false positives. FMC Corporation Technical Report, 1984.
- Riley, T.M. & Barbato, G.J. Dot-matrix alphanumerics viewed under discrete element degradation. Human Factors, 1978, 20(4), 473-479.
- Riley, T.M. Multiple images as a function of LED’s viewed during vibration. Human Factors, 1977, 19(1), 79-82.
- Peters, G.L. & Riley T.M. Human factors of dot matrix displays. Flight Dynamics Laboratory Technical Report, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 1976.
- Riley, T.M. Specific and general set in tachistoscopic perception of alphanumeric characters. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1974, 39, 123-128.
- Riley, T.M. Habituation of the orienting response as a function of inter- and intra-modal transfer of conceptual information. Doctoral Dissertation, Iowa State University, 1973.
- Riley, T.M. GSR and stimulus context. Masters Thesis, Iowa State University, 1972.
Selected Presentations & Workshops
- Safe Work And Travel. Process Engineering Group, ExxonMobil, Houston, 2008.
- Fat Travel: Packing more than underwear on your trips. International Association of Exhibitions and Events, San Diego, 2006.
- Road Safety. Occupational Nurses Association, Las Vegas, 2004.
- Safe Work And Travel. Management Leadership Group, BAE Systems, Los Angeles, 2003.
- C.H.A.R.M. School. Heald College, San Francisco, 2003.
- Managing Unruly Customers. National Food Service Security Association, Sarasota, 2003.
- Travel Can Be Murder, Learjet Safety Standdown, Wichita, 2002
- Human Factors Workshop: Secure work and travel. National Business Aviation Association, Orlando, 2002.
- Compliance or Defiance. Equipment Manufacturers Institute Product Safety Seminar, Orlando, 2001.
- Hospitality Management: Handling dangerous customers. American Society of Industrial Security, San Antonio, 2001.
- Travel Can Be Murder: A Crewmember’s Guide to Personal Safety and Security. National Business Aviation Association, Anaheim, 2001.
- Workplace Violence Outside the Fence. Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, Anaheim, 2001.
- Travel Can Be Murder. Synergi Global Travel, Singapore, 2000.
- Travel Can Be Murder. Association of Corporate Travel Executives, Malaga, Spain, 1999.
- Using Psychology to Boost Security’s Effectiveness. American Society for Industrial Security, Las Vegas, 1999.
- Adapting Western Security Strategies to Asian Cultures, (With Susumu Homma) American Society for Industrial Security, Las Vegas, 1999.
- Hazardous duty: Managing the disruptive passenger. International Air Transport Association, Kuala Lumpur, 1998.
- Handling Hostile and Potentially Dangerous Customers: What to do ‘til the cops come. Contingency & Planning & Management, San Jose, 1998.
- Hazardous Passengers: Handling hotheads, hooligans, drunks and other jerks. (Invited) Regional Airline Association, Arlington, VA, 1998.
- Travel Security: A corporate responsibility. (Invited) Association of Corporate Travel Executives, Berlin, 1997.
- How Safe is Safe Enough? (Invited) Equipment Manufacturers Institute, Chicago, 1997.
- Managing Disgruntled—And Dangerous—Customers: What do you do ‘til the cops come? New Avenues in Crisis Management, Las Vegas, 1997.
- Terminating Problem Employees: How to fire without getting fired upon. Regional Airline Association, New Orleans, 1997.
- Travel Tactics. International Association of Exposition Managers, Los Angeles, 1996.
- Travel Can Be Murder. American Society for Industrial Security, Atlanta, 1996.
- New Threats When Executives Travel: Avoiding catastrophe on the road. New Avenues in Crisis Management, Las Vegas, 1996.
- Avoiding Robbery, Rape, Murder: More than good sense—good business. Association of Corporate Travel Executives, Seattle, 1996.
- Inhospitality: Protecting your guests from criminal violence. Hospitality Industry Risk Management, Las Vegas, 1995.
- Be Prepared… Or Be A Victim: The reality of traveling in the ‘90s. National Business Travel Association, Los Angeles, 1994.
- Why Smart People Do Dumb Things. (Invited) Equipment Manufacturers Institute, Chicago, 1992.
- A Word About Equipment Design: Consistency!!! (Invited) Equipment Manufacturers Institute, Chicago, 1991.
- Ideas, Implementation, Improvement…And Other “I” Words. (Keynote) Honeywell Computer Users, Phoenix, 1990.
- Operator Control of Complex Systems: They’re kidding themselves. (Invited) Honeywell Computer Users, Scottsdale, 1989.
- EGAD! There Are People in the Control Room! (Invited) Instrument Society of America, Pittsburgh, 1988.
- The Human Factor in Process Control. (Invited) Honeywell Computer Users, Scottsdale, 1988.
- Human Factors in Process Control Design. Chemical Manufacturers Association, Callaway Gardens, 1986.
- Now That You’re an Expert, Become an Implementer. Human Factors Society, Baltimore, 1985.
- A Juicy Application of Human Factors. Human Factors Society, San Antonio, 1984.
- Newspaper Technology: The next decade. Society for Information Display, New York, 1981.
- Dot-Matrix Alphanumeric Identification as a Function of Font and Discrete Element Degradation. (Invited) Society for Information Display, Los Angeles, 1976.
- Perceptual Break-up of LED’s Under Vibration. Dot-Matrix Displays Symposium, Wright-Patterson AFB, 1975.
- Carrying a “Cognitive Load” While Memorizing. (with W.J. Bartz) Midwestern Psychological Association, 1974.
Publications
- “A Mind to Travel,” a regularly appearing column in Executive Traveler, an American Express publication, 2003 to 2008.
- “Management of Customer Hostility and Rage” in Security Kenkyu (Security Study), a Japanese journal published by Security News Service, March 2006.
- “The Complete Travel Diet: ON the road guide to taking pounds OFF,” ©2004, Applied Psychology Press.
- “C.H.A.R.M. School: Lessons in Customer Hostility And Rage Management,” ©2002, Applied Psychology Press.
- “Travel Can Be Murder: The Business Traveler’s Guide to Personal Safety,” ©1994, 1998, 2001, Applied Psychology Press.
- “Hazardous Duty: Managing the Disruptive Passenger” in Insight, a publication of the International Air Transport Association, 1998.
- “Travel Hazards: Workplace Violence Outside the Company Fence” in Issues Report, a publication of the National Council on Compensation Insurance, 1998.
- “Travel Safety” (Co-authored with S. Homma.), a monthly column in AB•ROAD, a leading travel magazine distributed in Japan, 1998 – 2002.
Invention
- Multi-directional vibratory conveyor. Patent #4,944,381.
Honor
- Iowa State University, Department of Psychology, Distinguished Alumni Award 2017