معرفی
Dr. Theresa Petray is an Associate Professor in Sociology and Head of the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) at James Cook University (JCU). She is also a Research Fellow at The Cairns Institute. Her work focuses on Aboriginal activism, self-determination, and social justice, with significant research partnerships nationally and internationally. Her current research with the Gugu Badhun Nation explores economic development through self-determination frameworks, funded by an ARC Discovery Award (2019–2023).
Her academic roles include coordinating JCU’s Gender Equity Action & Research team (2018–2022), leading the development of JCU’s SAGE Athena Swan Bronze application, and supervising students from JCU and international institutions. She has received awards including JCU’s Advisory Panel Member of the Year (2022) and Early Career Advisor of the Year (2016).
Education:
- PhD in Sociology, James Cook University (2007–2011)
- Bachelor of Arts with Honours, St. Lawrence University (2002–2006)
Research Themes: Social movements, Indigenous agency, gender equity, and digital activism. Recent projects include monitoring evaluations for JUTE Theatre and studies on Indigenous nation self-government.
Awards: Highlighted contributions to gender equity, teaching excellence, and advisory roles. Notable recognitions include the JCU Rising Star Award (2012) and Inclusive Practice Teaching Award (2010).
Labs/Teams: Active in The Cairns Institute, Australian Sociological Association, and international partnerships like the Trans-Oceanik collaboration with L’École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales.
