I am an Australian and live in Sydney. I think of myself as an Environmental Psychologist but that was not my first professional role. I began my working career in engineering but quickly became interested in people issues such as industrial accidents, and so began a PhD in psychology. I moved from industry into the world of universities and initially specialised in topics such as measurement, scaling and data modelling. (My PhD was on the topic of Signal Detection Theory). I then studied social psychology and personality. Along the way, I became fascinated by environmental psychology and that has been my focus for a long time.
Being particularly interested in the practical application of what I knew, I started the social research company, Environmetrics in 1988. Since then, I have been both an academic and an applied researcher.
In my academic guise, I have taught research methods in Australia, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Italy. I am especially proud of my long-standing links with the University of Verona, and my Adjunct Fellowship with Macquarie University in Sydney. I am also delighted by my role with Urban Psychology at the University of Zurich
Some of my most interesting, applied projects include:
- Consulting on the psychological feasibility of underground workspaces in Singapore.
- Using Conjoint Measurement techniques to help design multi-use spaces in Zurich.
- Helping design the visitor experiences at major art galleries and museums.
However, my greatest triumph was teaching my Shetland Sheepdog, “Summer”, to identify her favourite toys by name.