Sara At The Interface

Publications

"One day you must tell me your full and complete story ... it helps to remind yourself of who you are. Then you can go forward, without fear of losing yourself in this ever-changing world."

Mr. Valmik in Rohinton Mistry's "A Fine Balance"

How did I end up here? - My story

After I graduated from high school, I faced a tough choice: what to study in university. It came down to choosing between my interest in engineering and psychology; I chose engineering. Five years later, I graduated from the University of Victoria with my engineering degree. Throughout my degree however, I felt a lack of connectedness with the people issues...how did the technology I was studying relate to helping people? This question led me to study biomedical (rehabilitation) engineering at the University of Toronto. While at the University of Toronto, I discovered human factors engineering: a field related to biomedical engineering that combines knowledge of psychology and engineering. Human factors engineering includes the user in the system, and examines how humans and technology interact to develop an interface to support the different strengths of each. To pursue my interest in human system interaction further, I took additional courses in the field following my post-graduate degree. I learned that the human factors perspective can be applied at different levels (individual, team, organization, and society); applications at the organizational level interested me the most. I was also intrigued with how history and changes over time impacted the technological and human system structure.

With my degrees in hand, I went on to apply my new knowledge (mostly at the individual and team level). I started out designing control rooms, training systems, and equipment systems for nuclear power plants. After three years, I chose to apply my knowledge in a different domain, and in a different environment. In the telecommunications sector, I provided a systems perspective when working with graphic designers to design user interfaces for telecommunications network control. I then worked in the petrochemical industry. Our team adapted a process and applied it to develop improved graphical user interfaces for a new process control room.

My work in a variety of organizational structures allowed me to experience different cultures. I now work with organizations to ensure that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts"; aligning individual efforts to common goals, using technology when helpful.