All UQ teachers have a passion for their area of expertise and a drive to pass this onto their students. For our teachers, there's nothing more exciting than teaching students who want to dive into the unknown alongside them.
No matter the discipline or field of study, our passionate, engaging experts are ready to empower curious students with the skills, confidence and knowledge they need to face a future of unknowns.
UQ’s teachers are true experts, with extensive industry and research experience. In many cases, they've ‘written the book’ on their subject. They're highly sought-after specialists who continue to provide knowledge leadership for a better world.
They're also future-focused, which means they're committed to ensuring students gain the insights, experience, and practical know-how to tackle any problem. Not just content to give students the skills to get their first job, our teachers prepare students for any path, any future, and any possibility.
- Agriculture and animal sciences
- Architecture, design and urban planning
- Arts, humanities and social sciences
- Business and economics
- Communication, media and experience design
- Computer science and IT
- Engineering
- Education
- Environment
- Health and Medicine
- Science and mathematics
Dr Ammar Abdul Aziz: Agriculture
Dr Ammar Abdul Aziz has been many things in life – farmer, fund manager, researcher and teacher.
But it’s his last role, as a teacher at UQ’s School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, where he’s found his true calling.
Wide-ranging experiences in multiple industries have equipped Ammar to make a difference to students and the planet.
Dr Sean Peel: Design
When many people think of design, they tend to focus on the end result – impeccably colour-coordinated rooms, shiny new products or detailed illustrations. But according to UQ Associate Lecturer Dr Sean Peel, the most important aspect of design is the process of finding problems.
Sean has dedicated his career as a designer to this pursuit of finding the right problems to solve – the ones that will create meaningful change in the lives of others.
Professor Alastair Blanshard: Classics and Ancient History
Professor Alastair Blanshard’s career did not start off purely in humanities.
His undergraduate degree was actually in law. His fascinating personal journey lends him the insight that passion should be the main driver in your career.
Alastair focuses on teaching his students to be critical thinkers, as it’s a transferable skillset that transcends industries and jobs.
Meet Professor Alastair Blanshard
Dr Sebastian Kaempf: Peace and Conflict
Growing up in Germany, Dr Sebastian Kaempf found that people didn’t want to speak about war.
When Sebastian first learned about the history of conflict, it completely reshaped his worldview.
Today, he’s dedicated to helping the next generation understand the politics of conflict in order to promote peace.
Professor Lorraine Mazerolle: Criminology and Justice
For criminology expert Professor Lorraine Mazerolle, the most rewarding part of being a teacher is seeing her students have an ‘aha’ moment when they truly understand something new.
Lorraine loves bringing real crime stories to life in the classroom, not just from her 30-year career, but with industry experts from police, corrections and courts.
Meet Professor Lorraine Mazerolle
Professor Tracey Bunda: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
As Professor of Indigenous Education, Tracey Bunda helps students see how understanding Indigenous knowledges and cultures can complement their other studies, helping them become the thoughtful leaders of tomorrow.
Tracey finds joy in teaching because it’s not just a learning experience for her students, but for her as well.
Lecturer Debbie Jeffery: Commerce
UQ Lecturer Debbie Jeffery brings a wealth of international industry experience to her classrooms, but it’s her unique approach to teaching that makes her classes so engaging, enjoyable and educational.
Debbie's interactive style and innovative use of technology prepare her students with both the hard and soft skills for the future workforce.
Associate Professor Nicholas Carah: Communication
Nicholas Carah, Director of Digital Cultures and Societies, has a highly collaborative teaching approach, which he uses to prepare students for the workplace.
Nic believes communication graduates have the power to help people see each other and their lives as a shared endeavour.
Meet Associate Professor Nicholas Carah
Professor Ryan Ko: Cyber Security
Professor Ryan Ko is a shining example of how rewarding it is to be curious in your field.
When he studied computer science in his undergraduate degree, Ryan never imagined he’d be helping protect the cyber privacy of millions of people.
His proudest moments in his teaching career are those where students with no background in computer science graduate with the same burning passion and curiosity as him.
Dr Paul Vrbik: Computer Science
Dr Paul Vrbik’s path to becoming a computer scientist began back in high school, where he would program his computer to solve maths problems for his homework.
Paul’s teachers noticed his proclivity for mathematical computing and pushed him in that direction following high school. And now he's a lecturer in UQ’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Dr Jiwon Kim: Engineering and Computing
A childhood love of Lego led Dr Jiwon Kim to become an expert in transport engineering.
She loves seeing concepts come to life and is passionate about sharing these with her students.
Jiwon knows being up-to-date with the latest systems and technologies is incredibly important, so she ensures her students, the engineers of the future, are prepared with this digital literacy.
Dr Joe Gattas: Civil Engineering
Dr Joe Gattas believes user-centred design is the future of civil engineering.
His keen sense of curiosity has seen him discover new ways to design cities with people and the environment in mind.
Joe acknowledges that his own expertise has developed thanks to his students. His students have challenged his thinking, and their questions have resulted in collaborative research.
Dr Pauline Pounds: Mechatronic Engineering
Dr Pauline Pounds has been fascinated by robots from an early age. She's dedicated to creating machines that can make the world more efficient, inclusive and, well, better.
Pauline wants to take her students on this journey with her, because in her view, collaboration is the key to solving exciting and challenging problems with mechatronics.
Dr Marnee Shay: Teaching
From youth work to teaching and now research, Dr Marnee Shay knows a thing or two about what makes young people tick – and what doesn’t.
Marnee has dedicated most of her career to helping students feel more engaged and involved in their education and is now using her experiences to inform her research.
Dr Simone Smala: Education
Dr Simone Smala has taught in Australian schools for three decades.
Her interest in finding out more about what education means for our world and society led her to a research project focused on uncovering how learners feel at different stages of the learning process.
Simone believes the key to excellent teaching is to connect with individual students and their personal stories.
Associate Lecturer Paul Treschman: Health, Sport and Education
For Associate Lecturer Paul Treschman, understanding how people flourish in different environments is the key to building safe, supportive settings for students to learn.
Paul understands that everyone learns differently, and he builds this into his teaching so each individual can excel.
Meet Associate Lecturer Paul Treschman
Associate Professor Ron Johnstone: Environmental Science
Drawing from his extensive experience nurturing the coastal and marine ecosystems of more than 30 countries, Associate Professor Ron Johnstone knows that what his students learn will have an impact on the future of the planet.
Meet Associate Professor Ron Johnstone
Professor Stuart Carney: Medicine
Professor Stuart Carney is a firm believer in pushing today’s medical boundaries for the future of medicine.
He's passionate about advocating for disadvantaged people, and hopes all of UQ’s medical students take that passion with them when they graduate.
By asking the hard questions and not accepting the status quo, Stuart knows that UQ produces some of the best medical graduates in Australia.
Professor Karen Healy: Social Work
Professor Karen Healy has a 'fire in her belly' for preparing her social work students for the situations they will encounter in their careers.
Karen wants to ensure UQ graduates are great practitioners who are empowered to create change and make a positive impact in the world.
Associate Professor Simon Reid: Public Health
The term ‘zoonotic’ may not have been widely known before the COVID-19 crisis, but for UQ public health expert Simon Reid, discovering how diseases jump from animals to humans – and what to do to minimise the risk, has been the focus of his research for years.
As a teacher, seeing his students understand the complex relationship between place, person and situation is a satisfying milestone.
Meet Associate Professor Simon Reid
Associate Professor Karen Whitfield: Pharmacy
An award-winning registered pharmacist, Associate Professor Karen Whitfield’s passion for teaching and wealth of experience are benefiting her students, the pharmacy workforce, and patients.
Dr Nicole Stormon: Dentistry
An interest in children’s oral health and the dental health system is what fuels UQ Lecturer Dr Nicole Stormon’s research and role as an oral health therapist. Nicole endeavours to investigate and implement ways to change dentistry to help all Australians access care, regardless of their background.
Dr Brooke-Mai Whelan: Speech Pathology
Dr Brooke-Mai Whelan, the Program Director of UQ’s Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) has a passion for post-brain-injury communication rehabilitation. She’s driving research supporting people with communication disabilities and ensuring tomorrow’s speech pathologists are taught with the patient in mind.
Dr Emma Crawford: Occupational Therapy
As a Paediatric Occupational Therapist and a Lecturer in UQ’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours), Dr Emma Crawford has a passion for helping others.
With a focus on culturally responsive practice and addressing societal disadvantage, Emma helps ensure our occupational therapy students are taught to include compassion and empathy in their skillset.
Dr James Kirby: Psychology
Compassion science may not be a term that’s thrown around often, but for Dr James Kirby, a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in UQ’s Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), it’s an important one.
His research centres on compassion focused approaches in therapy, and he’s committed to ensuring our psychology students are taught to include compassion and empathy in their skillset.
Dr Shelly Keating: Clinical Exercise Physiology
With a focus on ‘bringing the clinic to the classroom’, Shelley helps ensure her students understand the complexities of living with a chronic health condition and are taught to use this understanding as a basis for personalised exercise intervention.
Dr Roma Forbes: Physiotherapy
Roma's passion for physiotherapy ensures her students are well prepared for their future careers. By exposing them to real cases and simulated patient experiences, they gain valuable insights into what they can expect on the job.
Her research also equips employers with the necessary tools to support new graduates in a way that benefits the students’ careers and the healthcare needs of the community.
Associate Professor Sean Tweedy: Human Movement Studies
Associate Professor Sean Tweedy has been working in physical activity roles since he was 19. He's passionate about making sport inclusive for people of all abilities.
From undergrads to PhD candidates, he wants to share this passion with others, so they too can help enhance the sporting landscape to support and encourage a love for physical activity amongst people with disabilities.
Meet Associate Professor Sean Tweedy
Associate Professor Steven Rynne: Sports Coaching
Dr Steven Rynne's CV ranges from health and physical education teacher and youth sports coach to researcher and lecturer in high performance coaching. So, it's no surprise he knows a thing or two about what makes a good sports coach and the key ingredients for athletic success.
Steven has dedicated his entire career to promoting positive sporting experiences. He now educates coaches while advancing research on coach learning.
Meet Associate Professor Steven Rynne
Dr Norman Ng: Health and Physical Education
Dr Norman Ng has worn many hats throughout his life, from personal trainer and auxiliary teacher, to military officer, health promotion officer, researcher, and teacher.
However, it's his current role as a teacher of health, physical education, and interprofessional healthcare education at UQ where he has found his true calling.
Dr Chris Rinke: Microbiology
Could insects and microbes hold the solution to the world’s plastic waste crisis? They just might – especially with people like Senior Lecturer Dr Chris Rinke researching them.
From bacteria in Brisbane’s ‘Brown Snake’ river to microbial ‘dark matter’, Chris is fascinated by how the smallest organisms play one of the largest roles in Earth’s history.
Dr Sara Davies: Mathematics
One of the most important things that Dr Sara Davies hopes to teach her students is that mathematics is a fascinating field that can be applied to every single industry in today’s society.
Sara is passionate about empowering students to have the courage to ask questions and the confidence to make mistakes and learn from them. She believes that this curiosity is where the breakthroughs in mathematical research happen.
No matter what path you take at UQ, you'll learn from inspiring and outstanding teachers every step of the way. Discover what else awaits you when you undertake undergraduate study with us.
