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Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Agricultural Studies | Deputy Chair, School Teaching & Learning Committee | Affiliate Academic, ITaLI

I am an educator and researcher dedicated to transforming teaching and learning in higher education. My strong focus is on interdisciplinary agricultural studies, student engagement, and curriculum innovation. With a background in chemistry, biology, and animal science, I bridge the gap between scientific disciplines to enhance student learning experiences.

As Deputy Chair of the School Teaching & Learning Committee, I lead strategic initiatives to improve curriculum design, assessment practices, and student transition strategies. He actively supports colleagues in implementing evidence-based teaching approaches and co-teaching models that foster collaboration and pedagogical innovation.

My research explores the impact of virtual field trips in agriculture, student-industry engagement, and digital inclusion in higher education. I am particularly interested in how technology-enhanced learning can support students from diverse backgrounds, including rural and remote learners. I have successfully led and contributed to multiple teaching and learning grants, driving projects that integrate sustainability, digital tools, and real-world applications into agricultural education.

A passionate advocate for teaching excellence and educator development, I am deeply involved in mentoring peers through faculty-wide professional development programs, co-teaching initiatives, and peer coaching. Through these initiatives, I guide early-career educators in developing active learning strategies, refining their teaching practices, and enhancing student engagement. He also provides SECaTS reviews, workshops, and structured feedback sessions, supporting colleagues in strengthening their pedagogical approaches.

I am actively engaged in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), investigating co-teaching effectiveness, assessment redesign, and student learning outcomes. My research-driven approach informs not only my own teaching but also broader institutional efforts to enhance curriculum alignment, academic integrity, and inclusive teaching practices.

A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), I have received commendations for teaching excellence, reflecting my commitment to student-centred learning and academic leadership.

Research Interests: ✅ Co-teaching and interdisciplinary collaboration ✅ Curriculum innovation and assessment redesign ✅ Digital inclusion and technology-enhanced learning ✅ Virtual field trips and industry engagement in agricultural education ✅ Student transition and first-year experience in STEM ✅ Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in higher education

I actively collaborate with university and industry partners to reimagine agricultural education, mentor the next generation of educators, and cultivate skilled professionals for the agricultural sector's future.

I am an applied ecologist whose research is centred on developing and applying ecological models to study invasion biology and pest management under current and future climates. My broad interests span a range of applied ecological questions in fields as diverse as biosecurity, climate adaptation, food security and food safety. I believe strongly in the value of developing and applying generic solutions to solving ecological modelling problems. This is reflected in my efforts to develop CLIMEX and DYMEX Version 4, and the collaborative CliMond climate data repository for bioclimatic modellers. My present efforts are focused on developing real-time pest forecasting systems to enable the agricultural sector to better manage pests, weeds, and diseases.

Dr Kriz completed a Bachelor of Economics (Honours 1st Class) at the University of Sydney and completed her Ph.D. at the University of Sydney's Business School. She has been a visiting researcher at the Turku School of Economics (University of Turku) and the Adam Smith Business School (University of Glasgow) and was a Consultant at Mercer Consulting and Research Manager at Incept Labs. During her career in industry Dr Kriz was involved in major research projects (e.g. co-developing a ground-breaking diversity and inclusion blueprint for the investment banking industry in Australia; project managing a research project commissioned by the AICD involving over 100 Chairs). Dr Kriz's Honours thesis explored ambidexterity or the ability to undertake both radical and incremental innovation, and she was awarded the University's Canon Honours Scholarship. Her Ph.D. explored innovation among high-tech firms and during her doctorate, she also worked on a related innovation project for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), which involved over 50 interviews with key stakeholders.

Anne is a leader in pre-emptive, evidence-based digital research and practice empowering external media organisations and communications stakeholders to address misinformation. At UQ she is currently building a Community of Practice with industry and students called 'AI and the next generation of journalism'. Anne was APAC director for global online verification experts First Draft News for four years and Associate Professor (academic) and interim co-director of the Centre for Media Transition at UTS. Anne is a subcommittee board member for Australia's first misinformation and disinformation regulatory code of practice, enacted by the communications and media regulator ACMA and administered by peak industry DIGI. Anne was co-chief investigator on behalf of DIGI during the code's development while at UTS/First Draft. Anne also serves on the national ethics board for the MEAA as an independent member. Anne is a grant recipient of UNESCO's International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) and has authored numerous guidebooks and articles on verification, responsible reporting and information disorder in Australia and Southeast Asia. She has developed communications strategies and training preparing disaster managers and responders to climate and other emergency events. She has developed training for online celebritities and influences on how to not be a misinfluencer and instead protect and lead against misinformation. Anne was an Assistant Professor of Practice and Head of Broadcast at the University of Hong Kong where she established a digital verification lab in 2014 collaborating with technologists Meedan, and led media literacy projects with UNESCO throughout APAC. Anne was an anchor at CNN Hong Kong during SARS, and later a finance reporter at Bloomberg TV. She began her career in Toowoomba for WIN TV, was later ABC Landline presenter for four years, 7pm weekend news presenter for Queensland, fill in ABC News Breakfast host and held digital producer and Chief of Staff roles. Anne has a PhD in social media verification education.

My current research is all about finding ways to improve teaching and student learning, with a focus on biology and other sciences. This is a new and exciting direction for me to which I and my group are now dedicated. Of particular interest to me is finding ways to improve communication abilities of science students through the design, testing and implementation of effective curricula, class activities and assessment methods. Naturally, no learning occurs in isolation, so my current research also looks at learning scientific reasoning, information literacy, and how to improve the relevance and authenticity of practical/lab classes and assessment tasks.

Previously my research focussed on using physiological approaches and techniques to address questions in ecology, conservation and aquaculture, especially in vertebrates living in extreme environments (see references for examples). I continue to be involved in biological research through teaching, co-supervision and examination of postgraduate students.

My current projects aim to find effective ways to...

• Improve abilities of first year biology students to work effectively in groups.
• Improve science students’ communication abilities through the development and implementation of a new 3rd year course titled Communicating in Science.
• Improve scientific reasoning and writing in first year biology students.
• Improve tutor support and consequently student learning through implementation of a program of tailored tutor professional development.
• Improve information literacy in first year biology students.
• Motivate students to improve their biological knowledge and use of modern communication technologies by implementing authentic assignments throughout the curriculum e.g., websites, video, blogs.
• Improve the ability of students to articulate the skills and knowledge they develop in undergraduate ecology research through the use of a skills portfolio.
• Improve student practice and confidence in avoiding plagiarism and adhering to academic integrity.

Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe leads the Clinical-oMx Lab at the Frazer Institute, University of Queensland and is the Founding Scientific Director of the Queensland Spatial Biology Centre (QSBC) at the Wesley Research Institute. A/Prof Kulasinghe has pioneered spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and interactomics in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to world-first studies in lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and tissue atlasing studies of infectious diseases across pandemics. His research aims to understand the underlying pathobiology by using an integrative multi-omics approach. A/Prof Kulasinghe is supported by the MRFF, NHMRC, US DoD, Cancer Australia, Cure Cancer and numerous hospital and philanthropic organisations.

Dr. Shanal Kumar is an adult endocrinologist with a special interest in complex chronic diseases, particularly diabetes, bone health, and metabolic disorders. She has a focused expertise in endocrine and metabolic complications in adults with cystic fibrosis. As a clinician-academic, her experience spans qualitative, pilot and observational studies, clinical trials, and translational research, with an emphasis on rapid implementation into clinical practice.

Dr Snehlata Kumari is a group leader and the head of the Skin Inflammation and Immunity Laboratory at the Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia. Her international career and academic training spanned Germany, India, and Australia. She is a board member of the Australasian Society for Dermatology Research (ASDR) and a councillor on the International Psoriasis Council.

She has discovered novel signalling mechanisms that regulate the balance between homeostasis and inflammation in the skin. These findings highlight new mechanisms by which inflammatory diseases are initiated and propagated via NF-κB, TNF, IL-20 family cytokines, and necroptotic and apoptotic signalling pathways. Her research work has been published in top-tier journals, including Nature (3x), Nature Communications, Cell Metabolism, and Immunity.

Her scientific contributions have received international recognitions and honours, including the German National Academy of Sciences, the German Research Foundation (DFG), the European Society for Dermatological Research, the Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology, and the Young Women Investigators Award from the International Cytokine and Interferon Society.

Overall aims and research focus

- Immunomodulatory mechanisms regulating inflammation and immunity.

- Cellular and cell-soluble factor interactions in inflammatory diseases, including Psoriasis, Hidradenitis Suppurative, and Atopic Dermatitis.

Nadja's work centres on identifying, modelling and mitigating complex water and sustainability challenges within the industrial sector, with a focus on mining and resources. She also has a growing interest in applications of artificial intelligence (especially large language models) to enhance environmental governance and to assess and improve sustainability performance. In teaching, Nadja is passionate about training engineers to extend their core technical skillsets to work more effectively at the interface of policy, business, and society.

Nadja holds UQ degrees in Chemical Engineering (Honours Class I), Business Management, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering through the Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI). Thereafter, Nadja completed postdoctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) in Switzerland. From 2017-2025, Nadja was a faculty member at The University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada (promoted to Associate Professor in 2024), where she was jointly appointed across the School of Public Policy & Global Affairs and the Norman B Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering. She also held an NSERC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Mine Water Management and Stewardship.

Throughout her career, Nadja has also gained applied experience through a variety of roles across sectors and companies, including with Rio Tinto, BP, Incitec Pivot, Visy Paper, SLR Consulting and the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group). Her leadership experience has included serving on the Board of Directors for Genome British Columbia, Canada, and while at UBC she led the academic direction for several interdisciplinary, cross-campus research clusters including the BRIMM Water Stewardship theme and the UBC Future Minerals Initiative. Nadja brings a global perspective to her work, with fieldwork locations that have included Australia, Canada, Mongolia, Peru, and Ethiopia.