Voices from the Edge

Shamichael Hallman

The nicest guy you will ever meet and wise beyond his years, our guest this week is Shamichael Hallman.

 

Shamichael Hallman is an internationally recognized author, speaker, and civic innovator. As Director of Civic Health and Economic Opportunity at the Urban Libraries Council, he champions public libraries as engines of democracy, equity, and connection. A former Loeb Fellow at Harvard University, Shamichael’s work has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, TVO Today, and American Libraries Magazine. His book, Meet Me at the Library, explores how libraries can help us heal, engage, and reimagine our shared future

Book Review - Memory

A book review by the author Derren Brown

Michelle Stephenson

Michelle is an endorsed Organisational Psychologist and works for FIFO Focus and PerMentis. She has experience in mental health assessment and treatment, psychosocial risk management, trauma-informed care auditing and training, recruitment and selection and psychometric assessment, in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

In recent years, Michelle has worked alongside mining organisations to support psychosocial hazard risk management. She has supported individuals and consulted to organisations whose frontline workers were exposed to trauma, stress and high cognitive and emotional demands. She has also worked in partnership with other not-for-profit organisations to provide support in prisons, family and domestic violence refuges, and homelessness services. Michelle has trained workers across government, mining and community services with the skills necessary to provide emotional support and suicide intervention, emphasising the importance of trauma-informed care.

Michelle is the current President of the Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology Australia (SIOPA), and has served as a committee and/or board member since its foundation in 2016. She believes in the advancement of the Organisational Psychology profession, and in protecting the integrity of the profession. As a Psychology Board Approved Supervisor, Michelle also  appreciates the opportunity to support the growth and learning of students and psychologists, and intends to be an active advocate on behalf of her peers and the wider profession for years to come!

Book Review - Safety Rebels

A book review by Selma Piric

Sandra Lam

Sandra Lam is an endorsed Organisational Psychologist and the Managing Director of FIFO Focus and Permentis. With over two decades of experience across public and private sectors in Australia and internationally, Sandra is recognised for her expertise in psychosocial risk, organisational wellbeing, and shaping positive workplace cultures.

Through FIFO Focus, she works closely with the mining and remote workforce sectors, providing psychosocial risk management training and services, trauma-informed practices including in psychosocial investigations, mental health training, resilience-building programs, and FIFO life preparation.

As Managing Director of Permentis, Sandra leads projects across justice, utilities, defence, government, and international development, designing and implementing systemic, human-centred solutions to improve performance, engagement, and psychosocial safety.

Sandra’s career has taken her to Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and South America, often working in high-risk or high-impact environments. She holds a Master’s in Organisational Psychology and an MBA, and is a Fellow of the College of Organisational Psychologists.

Sandra is one of those rare people who are not only a friend, but willing to tell you the truth when you need to hear it. 

Book Review - Safety Capacity

A book review of this book by Martha Acosta

Nektarios Karanikas

Dr Nektarios Karanikas is Associate Professor in the Health, Safety and Environment discipline of the School of Public Health & Social Work (Faculty of Health) in the Queensland University of Technology (AU). Before his current appointment, he was Associate Professor of Safety and Human Factors at the Aviation Academy of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (NL). He studied MSc Human Factors and Safety Assessment in Aeronautics at Cranfield University (UK), and he was awarded his doctorate in Safety and Quality Management from Middlesex University (UK).

 

Nektarios graduated from the Hellenic Air Force Academy as an aeronautical engineer, worked for about 19 years as an officer at the Hellenic Air Force and resigned in 2014 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. There, he served in various positions related to maintenance, safety and quality management, including accident investigations, and he was lecturer and instructor for safety and human factors courses.

 

In addition to his academic qualifications, Nektarios has held professional engineering, human factors, project management, and safety management credentials and has been a member of various national and international associations. He has published three books and several chapters and has (co)authored many peer-reviewed journal and conference articles focussing on systems thinking, safety/risk management and investigations. Nektarios has presented his work in over 100 events and actively volunteers in a wide range of scientific and professional activities

Book Review - Don't fix me, fix the workplace

A book review of this book by Peter Mills