Angela Ragusa

Dr. Angela Ragusa is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Charles Sturt University within the School of Social Work and Arts. Born in New York City, she completed her PhD and two Masters degrees at Virginia Tech and a BA (Honours) in Psychology from St Francis College. With over two decades of teaching experience since 1997, she has worked at four Australian universities including CSU, Griffith, University of New England, and Queensland University of Technology after migrating to Australia in 2002.

Her academic journey includes a PhD in Sociology, MS in Science and Technology Studies, MS in Sociology, and BA(Hon) in Psychology. Prior to academia, she worked at JP Morgan, UNICEF, and various law firms, bringing practical experience to her scholarly work.

Dr. Ragusa's research spans interdisciplinary areas with a sociological lens, focusing on social change, inequality, environmental sociology, communication studies, and the sociology of science & technology. Her work often involves collaboration across natural sciences, mental health, communication, cultural studies, and social work disciplines. She examines how culture and subcultures affect social identity and how individuals negotiate systemic influences from media, science, education, and health institutions to produce change at legislative, community, policy, and personal levels.

Her publication record shows consistent scholarly output with 96 research outputs spanning from 2003-2025, demonstrating evolving research interests from foundational sociological theory to contemporary issues like digital learning environments, environmental sustainability, and cost-of-living crises. Her work frequently addresses rural Australian contexts while maintaining global relevance, particularly through her editorship of Rural Society: Journal of global research into rural social problems and sustainable communities.

• Institute for Land, Water & Society Research Fellowship (2007, 2010, 2013, 2016)
• Vice Chancellor's Individual Award for Excellence in Sustainability (2013)
• CSU DVC (Academic) Special Studies Program (2009)
• CSU DVC (Research) Award of Acknowledgment (2007)
• Who's Who in the World (2007-2013)

Dr. Ragusa has supervised numerous PhD and honors students across sociology, social work, communication, and environmental science disciplines, with many resulting in co-authored publications. Her research has been supported by competitive grants including four Institute for Land, Water, & Society fellowships. She has held significant leadership roles including Associate Head of School, Sociology Discipline Coordinator, Course Coordinator for BA(Honours), and membership on various university and community committees focused on sustainability, research, and GLBTIQ inclusion.

As Editor-in-Chief of Rural Society and active participant in environmental advisory committees, she bridges academic research with community engagement and policy development, particularly in rural sustainability and wellbeing initiatives.