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Dr Ann Starasts

Dr Ann Starasts
Name Ann Starasts
Position Casual Employment
Section UniSQ College (Pathways)
Location Toowoomba Campus
Email
Qualifications BAgSc(Hons) Qld , PhD Qld

Dr Ann Starasts is researcher and educator with expertise in adult learning, communications, digital literacy and agricultural development. She was previously Knowledge Broker with the USQ-led Future Drought Fund Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales (SQNNSW) Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub. She was previously a Senior Research Fellow within the Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment and with the Centre for Agricultural Engineering, and a member of the SQNNSWHub Executive Team. She has extensive knowledge in agricultural extension, adoption and innovation, and has undertaken research on agricultural information, knowledge and communications impacts on farmer’s ability to adapt and innovate. Research projects include evaluation of the Australian CliMate app and Soil Water app, and usability and adoption across Australia. She has led Adoption and Livelihoods studies, Supply Chain research and community engagement in an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research-funded project: Improving soil and water management in vegetable production in Laos PDR and Cambodia. She also has a research interest in digital literacy within rural, regional and aging communities and previously researched within the Australian Digital Futures Institute. Prior to this she had almost 30 years as an agronomist, educator and information/communications specialist with Queensland Government where she developed and ran farmer and industry training and information products for the grains & beef sectors in northern Australia. She has a PhD in Agribusiness (UQ) in which she investigated information processes associated with rural innovation. She has managed Government and national Industry agricultural communications accounts and was identified as one of Emerald Grain/Fairfax Media’s 100 Women in Australian Agribusiness.


Resilience-building within rural and regional businesses, communities and industries.
Information seeking and literacies relevant to adoption and innovation within rural businesses and industries, and lifelong learning within communities and networks.
Facilitating personalised learning, innovation and technology adoption in a digital environment.


International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists

Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education


Association for Sustainability in Business


  • Centre for Agricultural Engineering (CAE)

TPP0122/TPP7122 Study Management


4 Years


25 Years