Dr Valerie O'Keeffe

Senior Research Fellow in Human Factors

College of Business, Government and Law

place Tonsley Building
GPO Box 2100, ADELAIDE, SA, 5001

Building on a background in applied health sciences (prosthetics and orthotics), Dr O’Keeffe has worked in diverse roles focused on human factors, ergonomics and workplace health and safety. Valerie's experience spans health and safety policy development and enforcement, management systems consultancy and auditing, research, ambulance and disability services, clinical and occupational rehabilitation, and training and education, where she has worked for SafeWork South Australia, SafeWork Australia and SAI Global Assurance Services. 

As a researcher, Valerie's current projects apply human factors, ergonomics and organisational psychology as vehicles to promote successful and sustainable technology adoption at work. Her aim is to improve individual and organisational performance through greater inclusivity, health and safety, and business capability.  Previous projects have examined worker performance in the service industries including the influence of job quality and design on worker, business and customer outcomes. Valerie has an interest in job design, particularly the management of psychosocial hazards and the prevention of psychological injury at work, also researching the regulation of and policy frameworks for managing psychosocial risks at work.

Valerie's teaching speciality is human factors and organisational safety in the future of work, with an emphasis on sociotechnical systems, behaviour and work health and safety.

Qualifications

PhD (Social Psychology), UniSA

Master of Ergonomics, University of Queensland

Bachelor of Psychological Science, UniSA

Graduate Diploma Occupational Health, University of Adelaide

Graduate Diploma Social Science (Rehabilitation), University of SA

Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management, Flinders University

Diploma Applied Science (Prosthetics and Orthotics) Latrobe University

Honours, awards and grants

Australian Councillor, International Ergonomics Association, 2020

Fellow of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety, 2020

Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia, 2019

Emerald Publishing/EMFD Award for Outstanding Doctoral Research in Healthcare Management, 2015

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia David Ferguson Postgraduate Student Award, 2015

Teaching interests

Valerie's teaching interests are human factors, ergonomics, safety management systems and psychosocial risk