Jennifer Spoor

Dr Jennifer Spoor is Research Director (Vocational Engagement) in the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) and an Associate Professor of Management/HRM at La Trobe Business School.

Jennifer leads research teams and supports capacity building on projects that aim to benefit neurodivergent people and people living with disability, employers and broader society through meaningful work and a strengths-based approach. Jennifer focuses on the role of the organisational context (e.g., co-worker attitudes, team dynamics, HR practices), with current research projects examining sustainable employment for autistic adults through improved well-being, neurodiversity employment programs, and managing employees with chronic health conditions, including long-COVID. Her research has received external funding from veski, the Australian Research Council (Linkage Project), and Principals Association of Specialist Schools.

She has held various leadership roles in the La Trobe Business School, including Deputy Director of the MBA Program, Program Coordinator Master of Management, and Program Coordinator Higher Degree by Research. Prior to joining La Trobe, she taught at the University of Queensland, Butler University (USA), and Purdue University (USA). Jennifer's education and training is in applied social psychology and statistics. She completed a PhD and MS in social psychology at Purdue University and a Graduate Certificate in Disability Practice from La Trobe University.