Abigail Wooldridge, an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Bentzi Karsh Early-Career Service Award by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES).
This award recognizes her significant contribution to advancing public understanding of human factors and ergonomics science. Wooldridge will be presented with the award at the HFES ASPIRE Annual Meeting, scheduled for September 9-13, 2024
Wooldridge's research focuses on complex sociotechnical systems, particularly in healthcare. Her work aims to improve patient safety, quality of care and the outcomes of healthcare professionals. She studies how teams of healthcare professionals, patients and their families work together, particularly emphasizing team cognition and designing systems, processes and technology to support these interactions.
"Human factors is about understanding the interactions between humans and other elements of a system," explains Wooldridge. "In our lab, we apply this understanding to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, especially in healthcare settings."
Expressing her gratitude for the award, Wooldridge stated, "I'm honored to receive the Bentzi Karsh Early-Career Service Award. Professor Karsh was a faculty at my alma mater, and while I did not know him personally, many of those who taught me, formally or informally, worked with and/or taught him. I have always been inspired by his work and legacy; part of that legacy includes serving the human factors and ergonomics discipline by raising public awareness of our science. I aim to do that by bridging the gap between complex academic research and practical, real-world applications within impact in my work. This recognition from HFES motivates me to continue advocating for our field and demonstrating its value to the public. By increasing awareness of human factors principles, we can create safer, more efficient and more human-friendly environments and technology for all.”
This recognition not only celebrates Wooldridge’s achievements but also highlights the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's prominence in industrial and systems engineering.
Learn more about Wooldridge's work by visiting Human Factors in Sociotechnical Systems Laboratory.