BA, Trinity University, 1992
MSc, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, 2002
PhD, University of Texas at Austin, 2006
Professor Christopher Gaffney, who joined JCU in 2026, is a human geographer working at the intersection of urbanization, sports, and tourism. He holds a BA in history and philosophy, an MSc in geosciences, and a PhD in geography. With more than 30 years of teaching experience in diverse geographic and cultural contexts, he has gained an international profile for his work on the deleterious impacts of the world's largest and most visible sporting events. Professor Gaffney's current work on issues of "overtourism" calls into question normative sustainability paradigms while fostering data-informed discussions between multiple tourism stakeholders as they negotiate the concatenating polycrisis. His research and teaching explore the quotidian as expressive of complex systems, always with the goal of fostering a more convivial and hospitable world.
