Khalisa Phillips

About Khalisa Phillips

With more than a decade of experience at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), I contribute to protecting consumers—especially children—from unsafe consumer products. I co-manage the human factors age determination program for regulated products, and draft product safety assessments for Compliance defect cases, supporting nationwide recalls for children’s products, toys, and household items. I actively represent CPSC at ASTM meetings, collaborating on the development and enhancement of voluntary safety standards for children’s playgrounds and infant sleep products. I am dedicated to advancing the safety of consumer products for children.

Experience

1. Human Factors Psychologist, Directorate of Engineering Sciences

   U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

   Nov 2010 — Present

   My responsibilities at CPSC include age grading, product safety evaluations, overseeing research and government contracts, developing agency guidance, and contributing to safety standards. My activities at CPSC advance consumer product safety through:Age Grading: I co-manage the human factors age determination program by assigning samples, monitoring deadlines, and reviewing and approving draft age determinations. The age determinations issued by human factors help Compliance issue regulatory violations, and resolve firm-contested cases that depend on age. Product Safety Evaluations: I regularly perform human factors product safety assessments to support Compliance defect cases. The product safety assessments from human factors help Compliance develop substantial product hazard determinations, and issue recalls of consumer products. Research Projects / Government Contracts: I serve as the contract officer\'s representative for multiple contracts. My tasks include reviewing and accepting all deliverables such as study planning, data collection, results, and final reports, and invoices. Example contracts include toy observation studies with children, playground testing, and internal age grading database updates. Guidance Documents: I write and edit agency and staff guidance documents, and answer consumer inquires. Example guidance documents I have worked on include the 2025 CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook and the 2020 staff Age Determination Guidelines (co-editor), & accompanying research report. Each year, I answer dozens of questions about the CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook, steering consumers to Handbook content relevant to their question(s). Safety Standards: I actively represent CPSC at ASTM meetings, collaborating on the development and enhancement of voluntary safety standards for children’s playgrounds and infant sleep products.

Education

• University of Maryland College Park

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

  2004 — 2010

• Marlboro College

  Bachelor of Arts

  1995 — 1999

• Harvard University

  Master of Education - MEd

  2003 — 2004

• Harvard University

  Master of Arts - MA

  2003 — 2004