Heather O’Brien

Heather O’Brien is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Information (iSchool). Her research focuses on human information interaction, user engagement (UE) with technology, and methodological tools for measuring UE. She is renowned for developing the User Engagement Scale (UES), a widely adopted tool for evaluating digital experiences across disciplines.

Her work bridges theory and practice, addressing the human-computer interface in contexts like health applications and education. O’Brien’s research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), emphasizing its societal impact. She has authored/co-authored influential books, including *Measuring User Engagement* (2014) and *Why Engagement Matters* (2016), and her scholarship has garnered over 3,500 citations.

Awarded the 2022 ASIS&T Research in Information Science Award, her contributions are praised for their methodological innovation and interdisciplinary reach. Colleagues highlight her foundational work in UE theory, which transcends information science to inform fields like healthcare and education.