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Biography

Hazel Farrell has been an educator and academic for over 30 years. She has been immersed in the AI narrative since 2023 both through practice-based research and the development of guidelines, frameworks, tools, and training to support educators and learners throughout the HE sector. She led the national N-TUTORR GenAI:N3 project which was included in the EDUCAUSE 2025 Horizon Report as an exemplar of good practice. She is the SETU Academic Lead for GenAI and Chair of the university’s GenAI Steering Committee. The practical application of GenAI provides a strong foundation for her research, with student engagement initiatives for creative disciplines at the forefront of her work. Hazel recently won DEC24 Digital Educator Award for her GenAI contributions to the HE sector. She has presented extensively on a variety of GenAI related topics and has several publications in this space. 

Hazel has lectured at SETU since 1993 in a wide variety of music and research modules in addition to supervising MA and PhD research. She has also developed and facilitated a wide variety of PD training for staff and students in the area of GenAI. She conceptualised 'AI Play' and has developed 2 levels of this training to enable staff to engage with the rapidly evolving technology in a relaxed and supportive environment. She has also developed online training focusing on Assessment Redesign to accompany the Assessment Redesign framework she designed as part of the GenAI:N3 national network project. This has been rolled out nationally and internationally and her 'AI Play' template has been adopted by partner universities throughout the sector.

Hazel's most recent research has focused on GenAI and student engagement initiatives with particular emphasis on the creative arts.

Publications:

  • Farrell, H. (2024) Re-imagining student engagement in an AI-enhanced classroom: Strategies and practices. In S. Beckingham, J. Lawrence, S. Powell, and P. Hartley, ed., Using AI effectively in HE: Sustainable and ethical practices for teaching, learning and assessment, 1st ed. Routledge: UK, pp. 67-73.
  • Farrell, H. (2023). Pseudo-Research: A Fabricated Study on Student Engagement in Music Pedagogy. Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 7(2), 88–99.https://doi.org/10.22554/ijtel.v7i2.145
  • “Considering Dissemination: Maximising the potential of the eportfolio”, Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, Vol. 6, Issue 1 (2021)
  • “Using Quiz Data to Support Students and Inform Teaching Practice”, ORLA case study (Online Resource for Learning Analytics), National Forum (2020)
  • “For the Cause of Classical Music in Ireland”, book review ‘Olive Smith: A Musical Visionary’, Journal of Music in Ireland (August, 2019), Irish Association of Youth Orchestras publication (October, 2019)
  • “Irish Folk Tunes and Minimalist Techniques in the Musical Language of Eric Sweeney: Concerto for Guitar (2004)”, Irish Musical Studies-11 (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2013)
  • Articles for Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013)
  • “The Composition of a Composer: A Survey”, Teaching the Unteachable? The Role of Composition in Music Education, ed. Patricia Flynn, Conference Proceedings of Waterford New Music Week 2005 (Waterford: Orpheus Publications WIT, 2008)
  • “Irish Minimalism: Eric Sweeney’s String Quartet 1996”, Society for Musicology in Ireland Conference Proceedings, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, (2004)
  • Brian Boydell: Catalogue of Works”, The Life and Music of Brian Boydell, ed. G. Cox et al (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 2003)

Recent Keynotes, Presentations, Webinars: 

  • ‘Beyond Adoption: Strategic Leadership in the Age of AI’, Keynote presentation, GenAI EDU5, Ulster University (August 2025) 
  • ‘Rethinking Music Education in an AI-enhanced Landscape’, SMI Plenary Conference, UCD (June 2025) 
  • ‘Unifying Minds: Collaborative Approaches to AI in Higher Education’ DigitalEd Conference ATU Galway and EdTech SETU (May 2025) 
  • ‘Workplace Intelligence: integrating AI into your daily routine’, SETU Aurora Leadership Seminar, (May 2025) 
  • ‘Higher Education in the Age of AI; Where we are now, and what’s next?’, Keynote Presentation, AI Day SETU Carlow (April 2025) 
  • ‘The Age of AI: Organisational Development’, National College of Ireland Webinar, (March 2025) 
  • ‘Higher Education in the Age of AI’, ATU Webinar, (March 2025) 
  • ‘Beyond Boundaries: AI and Collaborative Pathways to the Future’, Keynote Presentation, AI Horizons Symposium, Palestinian Universities (February 2025) 
  • ‘Co-Creating the Future: Collaborative Innovation with GenAI’, N-TUTORR National Showcase, The Convention Centre, Dublin (November 2024) 
  • ‘Exploring GenAI in Education’, Keynote presentation, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona, Spain (November 2024) 
  • ‘From Detection to Prevention: An Assessment Redesign Framework’, ATU DigitalEd Conference (September 2024) 
  • ‘Developing Guidelines for GenAI in Education’, Keynote presentation, EPFL University, Lausanne, Switzerland (September 2024) 
  • ‘GenAI:N3 - The Missing Link: Gen AI and Staff Engagement in Higher Education’, EDEN Conference Learning in the Age of AI: Towards Imaginative Futures University of Graz, Austria (June 2024) 

Lead N-TUTORR GenAI:N3 National Network (2024 - 2025)  

Lead Sustainability in the Arts Festival (2023 - date)     

Chair Council of Heads of Music in Higher Education (CHMHE)

Chair GenAI Steering Committtee

Member of Society for Musicology in Ireland Council

Member of SETU Academic Council

  • N-TUTORR GenAI:N3 National Network funded project (2024 - 2025)
  • SATLE Impact Award funding for Sustainability in the Arts Festival (2024 - 2026)
  • 'AI Café': Building a Culture of Confidence, Curiosity, and Collaboration, SATLE Fellowship (2025 - 2026)
  • ‘Using AI Avatars to enhance student engagement’ – Prof. Ioannis Glinavos Webinar, SATLE Seminar funding (June 2025)