Judith Rafferty (nee Herrmann)

Judith is a distinguished "Pracademic”, adeptly connecting theory with practice. She integrates 15 years of experience as a conflict resolution practitioner, researcher, and educator/trainer both in Australia and internationally.

Judith is an internationally respected researcher with notable expertise in qualitative studies with vulnerable populations in international conflict and post-conflict settings. Her PhD, focusing on justice for victim-survivors of sexual violence, has earned her several awards, including the Dean's Award for Research Higher Degree Excellence 2022. Her thesis can be accessed here. Judith has published on a wide range of topics, including conflict-related sexual violence, conflict resolution, genocide, and tertiary education, and has presented at multiple national and international conferences. 

As a Senior Trainer and Coach Mentor at the Conflict Management Academy, Senior Lecturer (2012-2023) and Director (2014-2017) of the postgraduate Conflict Management and Resolution program at JCU, Judith has provided conflict management training across a range of sectors, including face-to-face, online and in blended mode. She has significantly enhanced curriculum development in conflict studies and has created multiple resources and tools to support individuals to analyse and engage constructively in complex conflict situations. For example, for one of her subjects, Judith developed the Open Access Resource Neuroscience, Psychology and Conflict Management, published in 2024.

Judith is a nationally accredited mediator under the Australian Standards (NMAS) and trained in conflict management coaching, group facilitation and restorative justice group conferencing. Judith has been practising as a conflict management specialist since 2011 through her consultancy "Conflict Coaching Cairns" and as mediator on the mediation panel at the Cairns Dispute Resolution Centre. 

Judith's commitment to conflict resolution extends beyond her professional duties, evident in her leadership role at Mediators Beyond Borders Oceania (MBBO) and her involvement in multiple professional associations. Beside her PhD, Judith's holds a Master of Conflict and Dispute Resolution, a Graduate Business Administrator Diploma, and a Graduate Certificate in Psychology.

Judith's expertise also extends to public speaking, with a repertoire of hundreds of presentations, guest lectures, and webinars covering diverse topics such as conflict resolution processes and skills, cross-cultural conflict resolution, transitional justice, genocide, and violence against women. She has given a TEDx talk on building resilience through forgiveness, relating to her PhD research in Rwanda, which can be viewed here. She also won the JCU 3-Minute-Thesis competition in 2020 and the People’s Choice Award in 2020. Her presentation can be viewed here.