Rate My Professor Josephine Vaughan

Dr Josephine Vaughan is a Senior Lecturer in Construction Management within the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle, Australia, part of the College of Engineering, Science and Environment. She earned her PhD in Architecture from the University of Newcastle, Bachelor of Architecture from the same university, Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Sydney, and Graduate Certificate in Ecologically Sustainable Development from TAFE NSW. With two decades of professional experience in sustainable architecture and building, Vaughan collaborates with industry partners, manufacturers, construction companies, councils, and community organizations. She coordinates the Construction Management Industry Experience program, connecting students to industry opportunities, and leads international teaching collaborations in India and Malaysia focused on sustainable development and ecologies. Vaughan represents the University of Newcastle on key bodies including the Material & Embodied Carbon Leaders Alliance (MECLA) as Co-Chair of the Construction Materials & Assemblies Working Group since 2023, and the MidCoast Council’s Sustainable Building Futures Partnership. Her committee roles have included the Equity Diversity and Inclusion committee for the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment and the University Childcare Strategy Project Board.

Vaughan’s research specializes in environmental sustainability, building materials, embodied carbon, circular economy, traditional knowledge, and nature-building relationships. Current projects encompass hempcrete for carbon-sequestering buildings, removable mortar for brick reuse in partnership with Brickworks and RMIT, embodied carbon comparisons with the Footprint Company, and green building material databases. She has produced over 50 publications, industry reports, and toolkits, including the books 'Best Practices in Sustainable Built Environments: Case Studies from India and Australia' (Springer, 2025) with Jessica Siva and Verma S, and 'The Fractal Dimension of Architecture' (Birkhäuser, 2016) with Michael J. Ostwald. Other key works feature fractal analyses such as 'Characteristic Visual Complexity: Fractal Dimensions in the Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier' (2015) and thermal comfort studies like 'Thermal Comfort in Classrooms in NSW Australia' (2025). Her impact is evidenced by awards including the MDPI Best Paper Award (2024), Green Impact Award (2023, ACTS Inc), Global Engagement Staff Excellence Award (2023), Advance Higher Education Fellowship (2022), BOLD Award for Innovation in Course Design (2019), and multiple postgraduate research prizes (2016, 2015, 2014). Vaughan’s efforts align with UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 7, 11, and 12, promoting ecologically beneficial construction worldwide.