Barbara is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Macquarie University and an endorsed organisational psychologist registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Following positions at the University of Sydney and Western Sydney University, she moved to Macquarie University, working as Program Director of the Master of Organisational Psychology from 2013 to 2017.

The central theme of Barbara’s research focuses on the adjustment processes people experience when facing significant work-related events. She approaches this by examining the match or fit between an individual and the work environment at several points in the career lifespan. In particular, she has a sustained record of research and practice in the selection of health professionals, bringing expertise in assessment, equity issues, fitness-to-practice, and interviewing. Other projects include extending the workforce participation of older adults, developing a measure of risk culture in financial organisations, and being lead investigator on an ARC Linkage grant that brings together experts from across the university to investigate lifeguard performance with the aim of reducing fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents in public pools.

Barbara primarily teaches into the Master of Organisational Psychology degree, including Psychological Assessment and Evaluation (PSYO940), Team Factors in the Workplace (PSYO939) and Dissertation (PSYO945). She is the current chair of the Postgraduate Coursework Committee in the Department of Psychology.

Associate Editor, the Journal of Personnel Psychology

Editorial Board, the Journal of Vocational Behavior

Barbara consults to organisations in selection and assessment and on aspects of culture and climate. She is a member of the Academic Senate at Macquarie University and supervises registrars for endorsement in organisational psychology.