Tiziano Bernard, Ph.D. is a Professor of Human Factors, an experimental flight test engineer and pilot. Born and raised in Trieste, Italy, he graduated from the International School of Trieste before moving to the United States to study at Florida Tech. A graduate student of Dr. Ralph D. Kimberlin, he earned an M.S. in Flight Test Engineering working on aircraft stability and control. He earned his Ph.D. studying human cognition from the Human-Centered Design Institute (HCDi) under Dr. Lucas Stephane.
At Florida Tech, Dr. Bernard spent several years researching systems-induced loss of control (LOC), flight-testing causal factors, developing new cognitive engineering methods and designing experimental recovery avionics for large Part 25 aircraft.
Outside of academia, Dr. Bernard is an experimental flight test engineer flying on Gulfstream GVII and GVIII test aircraft. He is also an FAA Master Flight Instructor with over 1,500 instruction hours, and a Director with the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE). Previously, he worked as an avionics designer and evaluator for GARMIN, designing integrated, aftermarket and experimental cockpits, primarily focusing on large-cabin flight decks and life-critical systems. He is the inventor of two patents and continues to contribute to the aerospace field as a lecturer, instructor, volunteer pilot and mentor (e.g., Project Lead the Way).
In recognition of his dedication to the sciences, Dr. Bernard was awarded the Order of Merit of Savoy (Royal House of Italy), the Bronzean Medal of the City of Trieste and was elected to the Forbes Italy “Under 30” list in 2019. In 2025, he was awarded Best National Flight Instructor by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).