I am an educator and researcher dedicated to transforming teaching and learning in higher education, with a focus on interdisciplinary agricultural studies, student engagement, and curriculum innovation. With a background spanning chemistry, biology and animal science, I integrate scientific perspectives to create authentic, applied learning experiences for students.
As Deputy Chair of the School Teaching & Learning Committee, I lead strategic initiatives that strengthen curriculum design, assessment practices, inclusive teaching, academic integrity, and student transition. I actively support colleagues in adopting evidence‑based pedagogies, co‑teaching models, and innovative approaches that enhance learning and teaching across the school.
Nationally, I contribute to sector-wide educational leadership through the Australasian Council of Deans of Agriculture (ACDA), serving on the Steering Committee and as the Incoming Chair of the ACDA Teaching & Learning Awards for 2026. In these roles, I help shape national conversations on agricultural education, celebrate excellence, and support the development of high-quality teaching across the discipline.
My research explores virtual field trips in agriculture, student–industry engagement, digital inclusion, and the role of technology‑enhanced learning in supporting diverse cohorts, including rural and remote learners. I have led and contributed to multiple teaching and learning grants that embed sustainability, digital tools, and real‑world applications into agricultural curricula.
As an Affiliate Academic with ITaLI, I contribute to educator development through workshops, SECaTS-informed consultations, peer coaching, and co‑teaching initiatives. I mentor early‑career educators in active learning, curriculum alignment, and evidence‑based teaching practices that promote student success.
My Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) focuses on co‑teaching effectiveness, assessment redesign, and improving student learning outcomes, informing both my practice and broader institutional enhancement efforts.
A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), I have received commendations for teaching excellence and pedagogical 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 STEM experience
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
I collaborate with university and industry partners to reimagine agricultural education, mentor the next generation of educators, and cultivate skilled professionals equipped to shape the future of the agricultural sector.
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.
