Julie's research interests include: strengths-based case management in adolescence; prevention and intervention approaches; assessment of risk and protection in vulnerable youth; social and emotional well-being in adolescence; evidence-based resources for adolescent development; positive youth development; teacher well-being and innovative measures of emotional states of teachers and students in the classroom.
Dr Julie Bower is an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Education. She conducts applied research in secondary schools to understand the social and emotional processes that keep students at school and engaged in learning. Her work is based in a positive youth development framework, focusing on the strengths of adolescents at risk and working in close partnership with schools to assist these students to reach their potential. She is interested in developing real-time measures of emotion in a classroom setting, assessment of both risk and protection in vulnerable youth; prevention and intervention approaches; social and emotional well-being in adolescence; evidence-based resources for adolescent development; and school-wide approaches for social and emotional well-being of students and teachers.
Julie Bower has over 29 years experience in the education sector, 21 of those in educational research and more recently, over the past 12 years in the development of the Mindfields® Program, The CAT-RPM, the t* (Teacher Emotions App) and the Mindful Practice for Teachers Program. She is now an educational consultant in Emotional Health in Schools. Julie’s experience in the field of education encompasses the areas of research project management, development of evidence-based resources, social and emotional wellbeing, cognitive behavioural interventions and strengths-based strategies for teacher and student well-being.
Affiliate of Australian Women's and Girls' Health Research Centre
Australian Women's and Girls' Health Research Centre
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Lecturer - Biostatistics
School of Public Health
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Dr Darsy Darssan is an Accredited Professional Statistician® (PStat®) and a Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA). He obtained three degrees in Statistics at mathematical sciences schools of three different universities: a Bachelor of Science with Honours in 2005 at University of Jaffna, a Master of Applied Science in 2008 at RMIT University and a Doctor of Philosophy in 2014 at Queensland University of Technology.
While doing his two years full time traditional face-to-face master degree, Darsy worked as a part-time Statistician at Australian Council for Educational Research for a year.
Between the two bouts of postgraduate studies, Darsy worked for two years: as a Statistician at the University of New South Wales for a year and another year as an Associate Research Fellow in Applied Statistics at the University of Wollongong.
While doing the highest degree in Statistics Darsy worked as a sessional academic, contributed to teaching introductory statistics to various cohorts of first-year undergraduate students. Upon completion of the doctoral degree, Darsy moved to the University of Liverpool in the UK to do his Postdoctoral research in Biostatistics. Darsy returned home in late 2015 and worked as a Biostatistician at The University of Queensland for three years before taking the current position.
Career Statistician:
As a career statistician, Darsy is interested in developing or extending statistical methodologies to solve problems that arise in real-world data analysis and data collection in Biomedical research.
Service Statistician:
Darsy has experience working as a service statistician. He mainly worked on clinical trials where he was involved in study designs, randomisation, protocols development, statistical analysis plans, final statistical reports. He actively participated in data safety monitoring boards. Darsy provided statistical service to Biologists, Rheumatologists, Ophthalmologists, Nephrologist, Endocrinologist and Health Service Researchers.
Associate Professor / Deputy Associate Dean (Academic)
School of Business
Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Associate Professor Rachel Fitzgerald is the Deputy Associate Dean (Academic) for the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law. Rachel is internationally acknowledged for her expertise in Technology-Enhanced Learning and stands as a curriculum leader in the digital age, specialising in contemporary higher education and AI-driven learning. Rachel has spearheaded teaching and learning initiatives across various institutions globally and is leading research on microcredentials, workplace learning and Scholarship of AI in Teaching and Learning.
Affiliate Associate Professor of School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
Faculty of Science
Affiliate Associate Professor of School of Social Science
School of Social Science
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Affiliate Associate Professor of Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation
Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation
Associate Professor (Professional Learning)
Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
My career has been firmly based in education, with experience gathered in both the school and higher education sectors. I have taught in schools, colleges and universities in both Australia and South Africa. My work on curriculum design has been primarily focused on large generalist programs such as the BA. My research in this area has led to commissioned projects and collaborations with the council of Deans of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (DASSH). This research has led to invitations to participate in program reviews and planning days with a number of universities in Australia and engagement with the Deans of Arts network in New Zealand.
Suresh is a forward-thinking educator with expertise in curriculum design, educational technology, and SOTL in higher education. Passionate about driving student engagement, he also champions the professional development of fellow educators, fostering growth and innovation in teaching practices.
As an Associate Lecturer in Curriculum and eDesign at the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, Suresh plays a pivotal role in shaping the learning experience. He teaches across a diverse range of subjects, including animal anatomy, biology, and chemistry, while spearheading initiatives that transform course design. A key mentor to his colleagues, Suresh empowers educators to refine their teaching strategies and seamlessly integrate technology into their curricula. His contributions have earned him recognition as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).
Suresh’s core areas of expertise include:
- Educational research and program design
- Professional development and mentorship
- Technology-enhanced learning
- STEM pedagogy
- Assessment and feedback strategies
With a blend of experience in higher education and the eLearning industry, Suresh brings a fresh perspective to teaching and mentorship. He collaborates with faculty across disciplines to redesign courses, enhancing student engagement and creating impactful learning experiences both in-person and online.
Director of Teaching and Learning of School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Associate Professor
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Peter is the Director of Teaching and Learning for UQ's School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work. He teaches across both undergaduate and postgraduate programs and is also responsible for the International Portfolio.
Peter's research interests include: teaching and learning; eLearning and flexible learning; digital literacy; and interprofessional education.
Working in tertiary education since 2003, Peter's responsibilities have included but are not limited to: curriculum development and implementation; internal and external accreditation processes; interprofessional teaching and cooperation; development and implementation of School strategic plans; development and management of moderation processes which ensure transparency of standards of quality in implementation and outcomes; administration of programs; maintaining and developing domestic and international partnerships with both industry and external tertiary providers; and international consultancy particular to staff developoment and capacity building, teaching and learning and curricula development and review.
Deputy Director (Training) of Institute for Social Science Research
Institute for Social Science Research
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Principal Research Fellow
Institute for Social Science Research
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Jenny leads the Inclusive Education and Employment research group and is also the Deputy Director (Training) at the Institute for Social Science Research at the University of Queensland. She is a Psychologist and obtained her BA Honors, MA and PhD from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa. Before coming to ISSR, Jenny worked as a Chief Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council in South Africa in the area of Education effectiveness.
Jenny’s research takes an intersectionality and life course perspective focusing on inclusive education and labour force outcomes among individuals from a range of marginalised groups e.g., individuals with disabilities, individuals with foster/kinship/residential care experience, individuals with refugee experience, individuals with mental health challenges, and individuals living in socioeconomic disadvantage circumstances. Jenny's work takes a systems approach and includes understanding structural disadvantages and the support systems (e.g., parents/carers, service providers, school staff) that can be used to improve the life outcomes of individuals with complex needs over their life course. Jenny's work predominantly focuses on achieving an impact on policy and practice. She has extensive experience in large-scale mixed methods evaluations, using administrative data complemented with survey and qualitative data.
Jenny has worked closely with Government Departments and Ministries both in Australia (e.g., Tasmania DHHS; Australian DoE; Qld DoE; CESE NSW; Australian DSS; Qld DCSSD; Department of Home Affairs) and internationally (e.g., South Africa, Eritrea, Cambodia and the Solomon Islands) to gather research evidence from a wide range of disadvantaged communities to inform policy. Jenny is a Chief Investigator on an ARC Linkage project which investigates how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous children experience Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) using elicitation methods and a longitudinal qualitative research design to provide evidence to improve service agencies’ understanding of children’s experiences in OOHC and how agencies can best support families, carers and communities to promote the social, emotional, and cultural well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous children in OOHC. This research will improve service provider capability and test Government reform interventions. Jenny leads large-scale complex commissioned evaluations and is currently leading the following evaluations: Evaluation of the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement; Evaluation of the Extended Post Care Support Program; and FamilyLinQ Evaluation.
In the role of Deputy Director (Training) Jenny leads the development and implementation of ISSR's training programs. This includes professional short courses aimed at industry, tailored capability training for industry, courses aimed at PhD students, external and internal internships/placements, internal staff capability training, and teaching and honours supervision opportunities for ISSR staff in the schools. In addition to leading this portfolio of work and teaching professional short courses, Jenny continues to lead a Research Group (Social and Educational disadvantage), contribute as an Associate Investigator to research for the ARC Centre of Excellence on Families and Children over the Life Course (the Life Course Centre), and supervise HDR students.
Dr Chase Sherwell is a Research Fellow at the UQ Learning Lab and the Principal Research Technician for the Compassionate Mind Research Group in the School of Psychology. His research combines neuroscientific, psychological, and educational perspectives to provide tools for enacting learning, well-being, and behavioural change in real-world contexts. With a focus on application, Dr Sherwell’s work aims to identify metrics of internal psychological mechanisms that can be easily interpreted and integrated by professionals and end-users to facilitate skill development and mental health in everyday life.
With a background in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and education research, Dr Sherwell leads projects that aim to explain learning, development, and mental health across disciplinary lines: from the level of neural networks through to everyday experience. Integrating multi-modal techniques including digital interaction, biometrics, and neurophysiology, Dr Sherwell develops tools, user experiences, and analytics that provide actionable metrics and insights for professionals and researchers.
Dr Sherwell is a Research Fellow in the UQ Learning Lab: a team of multi-disciplinary researchers, educators, and industry partners who collaborate to transform learning, teaching, and training in diverse school and post-school environments through the science of learning. In this role, Dr Sherwell lends his expertise in cognitive neuroscience and psychology to develop projects aimed at understanding and measuring the barriers, facilitators, and mechanisms of self-regulation in professional contexts. He leads projects designing digital tools providing educators with real-time feedback on learner states and skill development integrating smartphone apps and biometrics from wearable devices.
Dr Sherwell is also the Principal Research Technician for the Compassionate Mind Research Group – the leading research hub for Compassion Science in Australia, based at the UQ School of Psychology. In this role, he oversees research design and development across projects investigating the mechanisms of prosocial behaviour in everyday life, barriers to clinical interventions, and the efficacy of online interventions for mental health.
Damon Thomas is a senior lecturer in literacy education. His current research interests include theories of writing, writing development, pedagogy, and assessment, systemic functional linguistics, argumentation, standardised assessment, and classical rhetoric. Damon's research has made important contributions in the following areas:
Understanding the complexities of student writing development
Exploring writing instruction in situ
Unpacking and critiquing the results of Australia's only large-scale test: the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy.
Damon completed his PhD at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) in 2015. He began lecturing at UTAS in 2014 and was promoted to senior lecturer in 2019. He took up a senior lecturer position at the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2021. Before starting his academic career, Damon taught as a primary school teacher in Tasmania after completing a Bachelor of Education degree with First Class Honours.
Damon was part of a team of Chief Investigators from the University of Tasmania, Deakin University, and La Trobe University that secured a successful ARC Linkage Project in 2015 in partnership with Anglicare Tasmania (LP150100558). The project investigated conditions that improved learning and wellbeing outcomes in regional, low-SES schools in Tasmania and Victoria. Damon oversaw the literacy component across school sites and conducted in-depth case studies in Tasmanian primary and high schools.
Damon is currently a Chief Investigator on an ARC Discovery Project investigating talk for learning in early years mathematics classrooms. Damon's main role is to employ several linguistic frameworks to understand the complexities of student dialogue and features of productive talk.
Damon is a member of several professional organisations including the Australian Systemic Functional Linguistics Association (ASFLA), the Primary English Teaching Association of Australia (PETAA), and the Australian Literacy Educators' Association (ALEA). Damon also translates literacy research for practising teachers via his blog: Read Write Think Learn
Affiliate of ARC COE for Children and Families Over the Lifecourse
ARC COE for Children and Families Over the Lifecourse
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Deputy Director (Research) of Institute for Social Science Research
Institute for Social Science Research
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Professorial Research Fellow
Institute for Social Science Research
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Availability:
Not available for supervision
Professor Wojtek Tomaszewski is Deputy Director (Research) and a Research Group Leader at the Institute for Social Science Research, and is also Chief Investigator in the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course (the Life Course Centre). He holds a BSc and MSc in Mathematics, as well as an MA in Sociology from the University of Warsaw, Poland and a PhD in Social Sciences from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Wojtek joined UQ from the National Centre for Social Research in London and has specialist expertise in quantitative research methods and advanced statistical analysis.
Wojtek has a strong research interest in the impact of disadvantage on educational and labour market outcomes in young people. He has undertaken a number of research projects for the State and Commonwealth Governments in Australia, and previously for the British Government. He has published in high-profile international academic journals across the fields of social sciences, education, and beyond.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Helen has over 30 years’ experience as a clinician (orthoptist) and an innovative educator. She was the Academic Lead Assessment in the Academy for Medical Education from mid 2017 to March 2024. Helen’s expertise has been built on a career spanning clinical practice in rural and urban settings fuelling a passion for learning from her early mentor, the late Prof Fred Hollows. Her career in higher education has spanned several roles including lecturing and reforming the orthoptics curriculum, leading elearning projects across five health facilities at the University of Sydney before moving to lead academic development at Charles Darwin University. She has worked in three medical schools (University of Sydney, Flinders University and the University of Queensland) inspiring educators to enhance clinical skills teaching, developing clinical supervisors in Northern Australia and most recently leading assessment design for the new Doctor of Medicine program at University of Queensland. She has received multiple teaching and learning awards at University of Sydney (2003, 2004), Flinders University (2016) and the Australian Awards for University Teaching: Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2017).