Starting out in the industry, she was one of the few women in her field and takes great pride in setting an example to show that women can succeed in this profession.
CARLSBAD, CA, January 11, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Virginia A. Lang, PhD, has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Lang has forged an impressive career as a woman and originator in the technology industry. Following her parents' encouragement to pursue higher education to achieve success, she first received a bachelor's degree in English before earning a Master of Arts in psychology from Towson University followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in psychology, with a concentration on human factors and cognition, from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton. During her doctoral studies she pursued three different internships, one of them being at NASA Langley Research Center, where she earned fellowship.
For nearly 15 years, Dr. Lang worked as a developmental psychologist for special populations, including working with Alaskan natives at Fairbanks Rehabilitation Center. In 1990, she entered academia as an assistant professor of psychology at Wichita State University, where she remained for nearly five years and received a teaching award. From 1985 to 2006, she built a noteworthy career in the technology industry and held various roles and positions, including principal scientist, manager, senior manager, and director. When she took the leap from academia to industry, her first position was as a systems engineer and interface designer at Bellcore, now restructured and known as iconectiv.
To build on her experience, Dr. Lang joined Symantec, now Gen Digital, as the director of user centered design and evaluation, where she worked from 1996 to 1999, before moving to RemoteNet Corporation in 2000 to be the director of web services. With this experience, she went on to become the co-founder and chief executive officer of OnCenter Consulting. For several years, Ms. Lang focused her efforts on this project while also holding the position of manager of user experience at CalAmp. In 2004, she was hired at Microsoft, where she learned many valuable lessons from Bill Gates, and served as manager for two years.
Soon after, Dr. Lang ventured out to start her own company, HirLan Inc. and its subsidiary HirLan International SA, which offers consulting and innovative products that aim to increase the productive and efficiency of its users, specifically for medical device companies and other associated businesses. Currently, her focus at HirLan is business development, ensuring the company's presence is felt at various conferences each year. Moreover, as it relates to the actual medical devices and budding technologies, Dr. Lang is looking at surgeries and procedures to identify ways to enhance performance. Her interest in the space where medicine and technology intersect stems from her work as a clinical research coordinator at John Hopkins, where she had a life-changing experience and was inspired to delve into human factors.
Since establishing her company, a little over 15 years ago, Dr. Lang has continued her involvement with other companies of note, such as DIRECTV, DivX Inc., Hands-On Mobile, and Merck Group, drawing from what she learned through her hands-on work in software security, information technology, finance, and communications. For her commitment in the space where technology and psychology intersect, Dr. Lang holds past and current memberships with the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the User Experience Professionals Association (UPA/UXPA), and the American Psychological Association. Moreover, she is a former member of the Psychonomic Society. In all she has contributed to and accomplished over the course of her robust career, Dr. Lang attributes her success to the support of her family and mentors, including Michael Kerman, Dr. David Payne, who was her mentor while pursuing her doctorate, and Dr. Ida Salaso, who not only helped her transition from academia to industry but also introduced her to Bellcore and AT&T Bell Laboratories.
Outside of her career, Dr. Lang served for two years as the chair of the Automotive Committee on Standards for the Society of Automotive Engineers and volunteered at both her church, as a Girl Scout leader, and a soccer coach for her sons. Along with being a businesswoman, she continues to teach, devoting her time to leading three-week intensive courses in Switzerland each year at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne (EPFL). As a result of her teachings, the research at the engineering school has made significant progress and more students pursuing their doctorate degrees are contributing innovative insights.
Looking forward, Dr. Lang wants to pass along the responsibility of managing the testing business and human factors laboratories at her company to her colleagues and concentrate her efforts on speaking and writing to further share her insights and knowledge. Starting out in the industry, she was one of the few women in her field and takes great pride in setting an example to show that women can succeed in this profession. Although women's involvement in the field has increased over the years, Dr. Lang hopes to see the discipline draw in more women worldwide and will continue to mentor young professionals who are entering the industry to make that a reality.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
# # #