Associate Professor, School of SHS – Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University
Steven Baker is a dynamic researcher and educator in the School of Health Sciences and Social Work and Creative Arts Research Institute at Griffith University. His research centres on how technology can be used to support human flourishing and address social issues such as; poverty and disadvantage, financial and physical abuse, and the impacts of a warming planet. Steven's research is distinguished by its innovation, interdisciplinarity, and commitment to cross-sector partnerships drawing on his background as a social worker and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researcher.
He is currently a chief investigator on the $2.3 million Extreme Heat and Older Adults (Ethos) project, a transdisciplinary research effort to develop an early warning system to protect older adults from the health impacts of extreme heat events. His research has been published in high ranking journals and conferences spanning computer science, gerontology and social work.
Steven's learning and teaching is focussed on transforming the ways that social work and human services students view social disadvantage, address inequality and advocate for positive change. He received a 2022 student experience of teaching commendation for his commitment to learning and teaching. In 2022, he also led a teaching and learning grant examining how the emerging technology of social virtual reality might play a role in supporting student learning.
Steven is committed to supporting higher degree by research students via his work on the Griffith Human Ethics Committee and the School of Health Services and Social Work Research Committee. He lives on the Gold Coast on the lands of the people of the Yugambeh language region with his wife and daughters.