Abigail Wooldridge

Abigail Wooldridge serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with cross-appointments in Carle Illinois College of Medicine, School of Information Sciences, Health and Kinesiology, Computer Science, and multiple research institutes including Beckman Institute and National Center for Supercomputing Applications.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering (Human Factors and Ergonomics) from University of Wisconsin-Madison (2018)
• M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison (2013)
• M.Eng. (Summa Cum Laude) in Industrial Engineering from University of Louisville (2012)
• B.S. (Summa Cum Laude) in Industrial Engineering from University of Louisville (2011)

Professor Wooldridge's research focuses on human factors in healthcare systems, particularly care transitions, team cognition, and sociotechnical design to enhance patient safety and clinician well-being. She employs mixed-methods approaches to study primary care, trauma care, and chronic disease management, with current projects examining postpartum hemorrhage response and maternal care transitions through the 'patient journey' framework. Her methodology emphasizes frontline worker engagement and participatory design.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal strong trends in maternal health applications, augmented reality emergency training tools, and diversity/inclusion integration in human factors. She frequently applies the SEIPS model and network analysis to quantify team cognition and system factors, increasingly incorporating machine learning for handoff process optimization.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• University of Illinois System Presidential Medallion (2021)
• Robert L. Wears Early Career Award (2021)
• Choice Outstanding Academic Title for co-edited book (2020)

Professor Wooldridge actively mentors graduate and undergraduate students across engineering, computer science, and health disciplines through her Human Factors in Sociotechnical Systems Laboratory. Her ARCHES Faculty Fellowship (2024) funds 'Safe and Equitable Maternal Care' innovation projects with OSF HealthCare, while ongoing NIH and institutional grants support trauma care transition studies and augmented reality tool development.

She directs the Human Factors in Sociotechnical Systems Laboratory and leads interdisciplinary teams including clinicians from Mayo Clinic, UIUC engineering researchers, and community health partners. Current collaborations focus on postpartum hemorrhage response systems, maternal care transition technologies, and inclusive design frameworks for healthcare equity.