Peta White

Peta J. White is an Associate Professor in Science and Environmental Education at Deakin University.

Peta is the Co-director of the Regenerating Futures Faculty Research Group – a transdisciplinary collective attending to Anthropocene challenges and decolonising practices while also building researcher capacity. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the Australian Journal of Environmental Education (Q1 – Web of Science). She led the OECD PISA 2025 Science Framework Environmental Science contribution ‘Agency in the Anthropocene’ and is active in climate change education research and advocacy. Peta’s research leadership has three narratives: science and biology education; sustainability, environmental, and climate change education; and collaborative/activist embodied methodologies.

Peta educated in classrooms, coordinated programs, led and supported professional associations, and prepared teachers in jurisdictions across Canada and Australia. Her PhD (2013) explored learning to live sustainably as a platform to educate future teachers. Peta continues her commitment to initial teacher education and in-service teacher education through research-informed, evidence-based professional learning programs working towards curriculum reform. She is currntly employed in an ongoing position with Deakin University - Burwood Campus - Melbourne, Victoria from 2014. In 2020, she was promoted to senior lecturer and in 2023, she was promoted to associate professor.

Peta has been a long-term activist and practitioner in the field of environmental education. She began as a classroom educator working with groups of young people and local communities and then moved to lead and support local community groups to undertake local projects and chair state conferences. She is currently an active member of several professional associations related to environmental and science education. This includes  state and national executive roles where she provides leadership and engages partners in collaborations. Currently this voluntary commitment through academic leadership focuses on roles in journals (academic and professional) and climate change education research and practice.