Keith Pembleton

Professor Keith Pembleton is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), affiliated with the Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment. He holds a BAgSc(Hons) from the University of Queensland (2005) and a PhD from the University of Tasmania (2010). His career includes roles as Professor (2024–present), Associate Professor (2019–2023), and Senior Lecturer (2017–2019) at USQ, with prior experience as a Senior Research Fellow and Research Fellow. His research focuses on integrating computational tools like APSIM and AI into agricultural decision-making, addressing challenges in crop modeling, catchment systems, and climate adaptation.

Research interests span agricultural systems modeling, crop and pasture agronomy, and climate resilience. He has led over 15 grants, including projects on sesame adoption in farming systems, soil constraint management, and drought resilience. Awards include the 2011 Minister for Agriculture award and Fulbright Scholarships.

Professor Pembleton supervises doctoral and master's research on topics like farming systems modeling and ICT adoption. His 100+ publications include work on APSIM validation, tropical pasture growth, and machine learning applications in agriculture. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and active in professional organizations like the Australian Society of Agronomy.