John W. Hearne is an Applied Mathematician in natural resource modelling. He holds a BSc(Hons) from Cape Town, and an MSc and PhD from Pretoria. Since 2023 he is Editor-in-Chief of Natural Resource Modeling (Wiley). He was Professor of Applied Mathematics at RMIT (2003–2020) and Head of the School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences (2003–2016). His career spans roles at the University of Natal and the University of Zululand, with pivotal postdoctoral and visiting appointments across Europe, USA, New Zealand, and Africa. His research covers system dynamics, optimisation, sensitivity analysis, and wildlife, water, and wildfire management. Awards include the ASOR Ren Potts Award (2020) and Erasmus Mundus Fellowships; he has served on several editorial and advisory boards.
In 2026 he published his first novel: The Recurring Decision. The novel is set in Pietermaritzburg and spans the last years of apartheid and ends after the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The main characters are all mathematicians, each with their own foibles and quirks.
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