Rate My Professor Silvia Pignata

Dr. Silvia Pignata is a Senior Lecturer in Aviation (Human Factors) in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering and Information Technology at Adelaide University, and a member of the Centre for Workplace Excellence. She holds a PhD in Work Psychology from the University of South Australia (2007-2011), with her thesis titled “Stress interventions: Their impact on psychological well-being and work attitudes in Australian university staff”. She also studied Health Sciences at The University of Adelaide (2005-2006). Before joining the University of South Australia in 2013, Pignata had over 20 years of experience in the public sector and consultancy. Between 2012 and 2015, she was Program Director for six online postgraduate programs in Human Factors and Safety Management Systems, and Workplace Health and Safety Management. She has been teaching Human Factors since 2012 and serves as a full-time Teaching & Research Academic and Research Degree Supervisor.

Her research interests encompass aviation human factors, psychosocial risk management, wellbeing interventions, work stress, and the psychosocial aspects of occupational health and safety. As Chief Investigator on the Australian Research Council Discovery Project “Digital communication and work stress in universities: a multilevel study” (DP190100853, 2019-2023), she contributed to significant advancements in understanding digital impacts on workplace stress. Pignata has authored over 45 publications, including “Workplace interventions to improve well-being and reduce burnout for nurses, physicians and allied healthcare professionals: a systematic review” (Cohen et al., BMJ Open, 2023), “Evaluating fatigue management regulations for flight crew in Australia using a new Fatigue Regulation Evaluation Framework (FREF)” (Mannawaduge et al., Transport Policy, 2024), “Sonographer wellbeing in Australia: perceptions of job demands and resources in clinical working environments” (Hall et al., Sonography, 2024), and “Psychosocial factors that influence the health of workers in contemporary workplaces” (Pignata, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022). She co-edited the Handbook of Research on Stress and Well-being in the Public Sector with Prof. Ronald Burke, featuring contributions from over 40 international researchers. Recognized for her teaching excellence, she received a 2025 High Commendation Award for STEM Senior-Career teaching. Additionally, she has been an invited guest editor for special issues, such as “Behavioral Health in Adolescence and Young Adults” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022-2023), and has presented at international conferences.