Kelli Kopocis

Contact Information:

City Campus (Lincoln) / Scott Campus (Omaha)
KH A405 / PKI 104G
kellikopocis@unl.edu

Professional Memberships:

• American Society for Engineering Education
• National Association of Women in Construction

Associate Professor of Practice
Chair, Construction Programs Curriculum Committee
Faculty Senate Past President
Courtesy Appointment UNMC College of Public Health Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health

Academic Degrees

  • B.S. Industrial Engineering
  • M.S. Industrial and Management Systems Engineering
  • Ph.D. Engineering (Construction Engineering and Management)
  • M.P.H. Environmental and Occupational Health

Certifications

  • PhD, MPH, AHFP, CM-Lean

The Complete Engineering Podcast Making it safer to transport infected patients
Terry Stentz and Kelli Herstein talk about their work with the Department of Defense to make the process of transporting patients exposed to infectious diseases safer for the healthcare workers and other Air Force personnel on those missions.

Click here for episode

Areas of Research and Professional Interest

  • Occupational Safety and Health
  • Occupational Human Factors and Ergonomics
  • Human Fatigue and Performance
  • Engineering Ethics
  • Lean Construction
  • Transportation and Logistics
  • Radio Frequency Identification

Inventions/Patents

  • Zuniga Ulloa, J., Knarr, B., Youn, J., Sossa, I., Stentz, T.L., Housh, T., Schmidt, R., (Kopocis) Herstein, K.R., Ahn, C.R. (2019) Accelerometry-based Fatigue Detection System. UNeMed, Corporation (NIN No. 19060).

Courses Taught

  • Productivity and Human Factors in Construction
  • Construction Site Safety Management
  • Construction Materials and Specifications
  • Engineering Economics
  • Introduction to Construction
  • Construction Senior Project
  • Deterministic Operations Research
  • Stochastic Operations Research
  • Construction Management Systems
  • Occupational Safety and Health
  • Ergonomics
  • Project Management
  • Work Measurement
  • Occupational Biomechanics

Honors and Awards

  • 2022-2024 NU DEAL Fellow
  • 2018 Associated School of Construction (ASC) Regional Teaching Award

Selected Publications

Herstein JJ, Abdoulaye AA, Jelden KC, Le AB, Beam EL, Gibbs SG, Hewlett AL, Vasa A, Boulter KC, Stentz TL, Kopocis-Herstein KR, ElRayes W, Wichman C, Lowe JJ. A pilot study of core body temperatures in healthcare workers wearing personal protective equipment during patient care activities in a high-level isolation unit. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2021 Aug. doi: 10.1080/1549624.2021.1949459

Wood, X., Stentz, T.L., Kopocis-Herstein, K.R. (2021) Designing Internship Courses for Graduate Students: Lesson and Recommendations from an International Student’s Internship. 2021 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Long Beach, California.

(Kopocis)Herstein, K.R. and Stentz, T.L. (2020) A Course in the Human Factors Approach to Construction Engineering and Management. Paper accepted to 2020 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Montreal, Canada.

Miller, J., Stentz, T.L., (Kopocis) Herstein, K.R. (2020) Autonomous Monitoring of Multiple Trucks in Earthmoving Operations. Paper submitted to 2020 Associated Schools of Construction Conference, Liverpool, United Kingdom. (accepted for Emerging Research presentation)

Jabbarani Torghabeh, Z., Stentz, T.L., (Kopocis) Herstein, K.R. (2020) Construction Glass and Glazing Job Description – A Qualitative Case Study, International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2020.1713608

 Ergonomic Assessment Report:  WC-135 Constant Phoenix Radioactive Collection Device Installation and Replacement”.  U.S. Air Force Bioenvironmental Engineering and Medical Services TAOS Research Conference Tempe, AZ  August 25-29, 2019.

Gibbs, S. G., Herstein, J. J., Le, A. B., Beam, E. L., Cieslak, T. J., Lawler, J. V., Santarpia, J.L., Stentz, T.L., Kopocis-Herstein, K.R., Achutan, C., Carter, G.W. Lowe, J. J. (2019). Review of Literature for Air Medical Evacuation High-Level Containment Transport. Air Medical Journal, 38(5), 359-365.

Gibbs, S. G., Herstein, J. J., Le, A. B., Beam, E. L., Cieslak, T. J., Lawler, J. V., Santarpia, J.L., Stentz, T.L., Kopocis-Herstein, K.R., Achutan, C., Carter, G.W. Lowe, J. J. (2019). Need for Aeromedical Evacuation High-Level Containment Transport Guidelines. Emerging infectious diseases, 25(5), 1033–1034. doi:10.3201/eid2505.181948

Lowe, J.J., J.V. Lawler, S.G. Gibbs, J.J. Herstein, E.L. Beam, G. Carter, J.L. Santarpia, T.L. Stentz, K.R. (Kopocis) Herstein, C.A. Achutan, T.J. Cieslak. Isolation System Independent Validation and Verification Final Report. Final Report. National Strategic Research Institute and Nebraska. U.S. Air Mobility Command. September 30, 2018.

 Moravec, T. J., & (Kopocis) Herstein, K.R, & Stentz, T. L. (2019, June), Finance Major to Construction Engineer and Manager: Summer Internship 2018 Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. https://peer.asee.org/32841

 Jabbarani Torghabeh, Z., Stentz, T.L., Buchholz, B., Jorgensen, M., (Kopocis) Herstein, K.R. (2019) Mixed Methods Ergonomics Job Analysis for Glass and Glazing Workers. Poster presented at 2019 Associated Schools of Construction Conference, Denver, Colorado

Torghabeh, Z. J., T. L. Stentz, and K. (Kopocis) Herstein. Demonstration of Work Performance Metrics in Ironworkers using the ERGOS Sapphire(TM) Work Simulation System. 51st Annual Associated Schools of Construction Annual International Conference Proceedings. April 22-25, 2015. College Station, TX.

Herstein, K.  An Experimental Analysis of the Effects of Ventilation, Airflow and Door Configuration on Transmission of Respiratory Aerosols in a Hospital [Doctoral Dissertation Title, 2014]

Grosskopf, K. and K. (Kopocis) Herstein. 2012.  The Aerodynamic Behaviour of Respiratory Aerosols within a General Patient Room. HVAC&R Research Vol. 18, No 4. pp 709-722.

Wendland, B., L. Lander, T.L. Stentz, K.J. Spanjer, K.R. (Kopocis) Herstein. No Silver Bullet. American Society of Safety Engineers. ASSE Professional Development Conference and Exhibition, 28 June-1 July, 2009, San Antonio, TX.

Herstein, K. An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Radio Frequency Identification on Mechanical Contracting Jobsites [Masters Thesis Title, 2009]

Stentz, T., M. Riley, D. Cochran, X. Ding, K. (Kopocis) Herstein, M. Euler, J. Renoe, M. Coplen, and S. Popkin. Transient Risk Factor Models for Fatigue and Human Factors Rail Accidents [International Fatigue Management Conference, 2009, Boston, MA]

Stentz, T., D. Cochran, X. Ding, K. (Kopocis) Herstein, M. Euler, J. Renoe, M. Coplen, S. and Popkin.  An Analysis of Self-Reported Locomotive Engineer Alertness and Activity [International Fatigue Management Conference, 2009, Boston, MA]

Stentz, T., M. Riley, D. Cochran, X. Ding, K. (Kopocis) Herstein, M. Euler, J. Renoe, M. Coplen, and S. Popkin.  Analysis of 28 Railroad Yard Accidents of 1997 Using Transient Risk Analysis [Research Report, Federal Railroad Administration, 2009]

Stentz, T., M. Riley, D. Cochran, K. (Kopocis) Herstein, M. Euler, J. Renoe, M. Coplen, and S. Popkin.  Human Factors as a Major Cause of Accidents [Research Report, Federal Railroad Administration, 2008]