John Rafferty

Dr John Rafferty

Environmental Education

Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences

Biography

Dr John Rafferty is a respected educator, researcher, and sustainability leader with over 30 years of experience in the education sector. A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), he brings a deep commitment to transformative learning and academic excellence. His work bridges scholarly insight and community action, focusing on how science literacy and environmental justice can empower responses to climate change and shape resilient futures.

As Associate Head of School at Charles Sturt University, John has demonstrated extensive leadership in curriculum innovation, staff development, and strategic partnerships. A substantial body of his research explores the intersection of education, policy, and community engagement—particularly in regional contexts.

He currently leads multiple initiatives that build local capacity to plan, implement, and monitor fish passageways, working alongside communities, government agencies, and industry partners. His work continues to influence individuals, educational providers, policymakers, and grassroots organisations across Australia and internationally

Research
  • Environmental justice
  • Sustainable community development
  • Education for sustainability
Publications
Full publications list on CRO

Recent publications

  • Peters, A., Masterman-Smith, H., & Rafferty, J. (2022). Investigating wildlife disease as a social problem. In C. Stephen (Ed.), Wildlife population health (pp. 77-88). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90510-1_7
  • Pawar, M., O'Sullivan, D., Cash, B., Culas, R., Langat, K., Manning, A., Mungai, N., Rafferty, J., Rajamani, S., & Ward, W. (2020). The sustainable development goals: An Australian response. The International Journal of Community and Social Development, 2(4), 374-393. [1]. https://doi.org/10.1177/2516602620983716
  • Peters, A., Masterman-Smith, H., & Rafferty, J. (2019). Operationalising a brave new way of doing wildlife health surveillance. Abstract from 2019 Wildlife Disease Association Australasia (WDA-A) Conference , Little Swanport, Tasmania, Australia.
  • Masterman-Smith, H., Rafferty, J., Dunphy, J., & Laird, S. G. (2016). The emerging field of rural environmental justice studies in Australia: Reflections from an environmental community engagement program. Journal of Rural Studies, 47, 359-368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.04.005
  • MacDonald, A., & Rafferty, J. (2015). Investigating mathematics, science and technology in early childhood. Oxford University Press.