Martha R. Grabowski is the McDevitt Distinguished Chair in Information Systems; Director of the Poland Center for Research and Teaching Innovation; and Professor and Director of the Information Systems program in the Madden College of Business & Economics at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York. In Fall 2024, she will become Professor Emerita, leading a research group of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Arctic Domain Awareness Center Research Fellows at Le Moyne and at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Dr. Grabowski is also a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, where she leads a research team exploring the impact of technology and artificial intelligence on individuals, groups and organizations in mission- and safety-critical systems.
At Le Moyne, Dr. Grabowski founded in 2001 and leads the #18 nationally US News and World Report-ranked (2024) undergraduate Information Systems program; she also led the MS Information Systems program from 2014-2020. Dr. Grabowski forged digital technology partnerships and alliances with 40 global Fortune 100 companies and institutions; national accounting, consulting and advisory services firms; and regional non profit organizations; and formed, nurtured and led the 35-member Information Systems Program Industry Advisory Board that provides industry guidance to the Information Systems Program and a pipeline of internships and full-time roles for Le Moyne students.
In 2021, she formed and leads the Walter and MaryAnne Poland Jesuit Center for Research & Teaching Innovation at Le Moyne, creating faculty research infrastructure and programs for a top-100 regional business school. In 2013, she created and leads the McDevitt Information Systems Research program, generating externally sponsored research projects in autonomous systems; generative AI; healthcare cybersecurity and blockchain; uncrewed aerial systems in safety-critical settings; machine learning; augmented and virtual reality, simulation and wearable technology.
Dr. Grabowski is a licensed former merchant marine officer and retired Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve. She received a B.S. in Marine Transportation/Nautical Science from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and an M.B.A., an M.S., Industrial & Management Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Management/ Information Systems from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 2023, she received her FAA Part 107 Remote Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) Pilot license.
Areas of Specialization
Dr. Grabowski’s research focuses on the impact of technology on individuals, groups and organizations in complex, safety-critical systems. Her current research focuses on (1) integrating advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence and visualizations of large-scale data sets to assess safety and environmental security; (2) exploring the impact of multimodal wearable augmented reality displays on operator performance, communication, situation awareness and mobility in safety-critical systems; (3) assessing the impact of autonomous uncrewed aerial systems (UAS, drones) and artificial intelligence on communication, logistics and emergency response systems in healthcare logistics, supply chains, manufacturing and Arctic search and rescue in infrastructure-poor settings; and (4) modeling and analyzing the effects of communications, infrastructure, technology and climate changes on emergency response and mass rescue capabilities in the Arctic.
Awards & Honors
Dr. Grabowski has been associated with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) for over 30 years, and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2024 in recognition for her work in 'engineering information systems that promote transportation safety and for national leadership in marine transportation policy.' In 2021, she received the W.N. Carey, Jr. Distinguished Service Award from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine's Transportation Research Board.
Dr. Grabowski led the National Academies’ Transportation Research Board (TRB)/Marine Board for two 6-year terms, and has chaired or served on eleven NASEM studies, including a current (2024) study for Congress examining the impact on safety culture of the use of alcohol by mariners on seagoing vessels. In 2023, she served on the National Academies committee studying U.S. Coast Guard statutory authorities in light of new and emerging maritime challenges, including autonomous vessels, interactions with commercial space launch and recovery operations, aquaculture, offshore energy systems, fishing, migration and cybersecurity.
Dr. Grabowski is an Executive Councilor in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Center of Excellence for Arctic Homeland Security and Arctic Domain Awareness at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and since 2019, has served on the U.S. Department of Transportation/ Maritime Administration's Advisory Board for the U.S. Merchant Academy. She is a member of the American Bureau of Shipping; a Lifetime National Associate of the National Academies; and a member of the City of Syracuse (NY)’s Surveillance Technology Task Force.
At Le Moyne, she received the Madden School of Business Faculty Mentor Award in 2023, and the Ignatian Mission Award in 2021 for her work with the rest of the Jesuit Student Emergency Fund committee. At RPI, she has twice won the Edith and Del Karger Dissertation Advisor award (2020, 2011)
Media Appearances
Dr. Grabowski is widely published, and is the author and/or co-author of 4 books, 59 peer-reviewed journal articles, and 38 peer-reviewed conference proceedings; she has given many invited keynote addresses and presentations; has multiple media appearances and downloads; and has testified before Congress on topics pertaining to safety-critical systems, disaster management; technology warning systems; maritime transportation, safety and environmental security. Her technology innovations center on the integration and use of advanced technology, including wearable augmented reality devices, uncrewed aerial systems, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence in safety- and mission-critical applications. Most recently, in December 2022, Dr. Grabowski testified before Congress regarding the U.S. Coast Guard’s needs in Arctic safety, security and environmental responsibility.
Publications
1. Cho, L., Sharkey, T.S., Lowe, M., Birkland, T.A., Grabowski, M.R. & Wallace, W.A. 2025. A Game Theory Approach for Multi-Stakeholder Infrastructure Development in the Arctic: A Case Study on the Port of Nome. Submitted to PLOSOne, November 2023. Impact Factor: 3.7, Q1 Engineering.
2. Grabowski, M.R., Martelli, P. & Roberts, K.H. 2023. Reliability-Seeking Virtual Organizations at the Margins of Systems, Capacity & Resources. Safety Science. 168, 106327. ABDC* ranking: A
3. Rowen, A., Grabowski, M. & Russell, D.W. 2022. The Impact of Work Demands and Operational Tempo on Safety Culture, Motivation and Perceived Performance in Safety-Critical Systems. Safety Science, 155, November. ABDC ranking: A
4. Merrick, J., Dorsey, C., Wang, B., Grabowski, M. & Harrald, J.R. 2022. Measuring Prediction Accuracy in a Maritime Accident Warning System. Production & Operations Management. 31:2, February, 819–827. ABDC ranking: A, FT-50
5. Camur, M.C., Sharkey, T.C., Dorsey, C.A., Grabowski, M.R., Wallace, W.A., Birkland, T. & Lowe, M. 2021. Optimizing the Response to Mass Rescue Events. Transportation Research: Part E. 152, August. ABDC ranking: A*
6. Rowen, A., Grabowski, M.R. & Rancy, J.-P. 2021. Moving and Improving in Safety-Critical Systems: Impacts of Head- Mounted Displays on Operator Mobility, Performance and Situation Awareness. International Journal of Human-Computer Systems, 150, June, 102606. ABDC ranking: B.
7. Sellevold, E., May, T., Gangi, S., Kulakowski, J., McDonnell, I., Hill, D. & Grabowski, M.R. 2020. Asset Tracking, Condition Visibility and Sustainability using Unmanned Aerial Systems in Global Logistics. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives. 8, November, 100234. Q1: Engineering.
8. Schad, A., Oztanriseven, F., & Grabowski, M.R. 2020. The Impact of Philanthropy During Humanitarian Disasters: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability, 15:2, May, 168-194. Cabell’s Acceptance: 14-20%
9. Dorsey, C., Wang, B., Grabowski, M.R., Merrick, J.R.W. & Harrald, J.R. 2020. Self-Healing Databases for Predictive Risk Analyses in Safety-Critical
Systems. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 63, 104014. Cabell’s Acceptance Rate: 18% (Management)
10. Rowen, A.T., Grabowski, M.R. & Rancy, J-P. 2019. Through the Looking Glass(es): Impacts of Wearable Augmented Reality Displays on Operators in a Safety-Critical System. IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, 49:6, December 2019, 652-660. Cabell’s Acceptance Rate: 24% Q1: Human Factors/Engineering
11. Rowen, A.T.., Grabowski, M.R., Rancy, J.P., Crane, A.P. 2019. Impacts of Wearable Augmented Reality Displays on Operator Performance, Situation Awareness and Communication in Safety-Critical Systems. Applied Ergonomics, 80, October, 17-27. Cabell’s Q1: Human Factors/Engineering
12. Grabowski, M. & Roberts, K.H. 2019. Reliability-Seeking Virtual Organizations: Challenges for High Reliability Organizations and Resilience Engineering. Safety Science, 117, August, 512-522. ABDC ranking: A
*ABDC = Australian Business Deans Council journal ranking (2024)
http://web.lemoyne.edu/~grabowsk
Download C.V.
Twitter:@GrabowskiMIS201 or @grabowsk2