Bernadette Foley

PhD Research Scholar

Contact Information

E-mail: bfoley@civeng.adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 8303 4323
Room: Engineering North Building, N137

Research Interests

My research focuses on using alternative thinking techniques and tools to advance the concept of sustainability and develop it as a journey. The objective is to determine a process that allows decision-makers to undertake an assessment of a project (or company) based on pre-determined sustainability criteria. Traditionally, projects have been assessed on technical and economic criteria. While it is recognised that many projects are now also assessed on environmental criteria there is little scope at present, with the available analytical tools, to combine the various assessments into a 'sustainability assessment'.

Analytical techniques generally require problems or situations to be broken into parts and assessed using quantitative data. Unless the quantitative data is of a similar nature, it is difficult to put the parts back together to see the whole picture or solution. Whole brain, non linear or Da Vincian thinking presents information to the brain in a different format and allows the relationships and interconnectedness of both quantitative and qualitative data to be assessed on their merits. The complex nature and interconnectedness of the concept of sustainability lends itself to using these alternative techniques for assessment purposes.

Research Project

Incorporating the concept of sustainability into decision making

Supervisor(s)

Assoc Prof Trevor Daniell - Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Adelaide

Professional Experience

2000-present: Postgraduate research student, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Adelaide

1999-March 2000: Engineer, Project Supervisor and Bid Manager, Halliburton KBR (formerly Kinhill), Adelaide

1998: Quality Assurance Coordinator, Halliburton Energy Services, Aberdeen, Scotland

1994-1997: Design Engineer, Kinhill Pty Ltd, Adelaide

1990-1993: Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), University of Adelaide

Publications

Foley B. A. and Daniell T. M., Are Australia Water Use Patterns Sustainable, The Environmental Engineer, Institution of Engineers Australia, Vol 2, No 2 Winter 2001, pp. 12-17.

Foley B. A. and Daniell T. M., Are traditional thinking and decision making techniques adequate for developing sustainable water systems?, In Press, 27th Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium, Melbourne, 20-23 May 2002.

Foley B. A. and Daniell T. M., A tool for intrasectoral and intersectoral decision making based on sustainability criteria, In Press, 27th Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium, Melbourne, 20-23 May 2002