Tim Ryley

Professor Tim Ryley is a leading academic in aviation and transport planning at Griffith University's School of Engineering and Built Environment. He joined Griffith University in March 2015 as the inaugural Professor of Aviation and has held significant leadership roles including Head of Griffith Aviation and Head of the School of Natural Sciences, managing approximately 100 staff members and over 1,500 students. He is currently a member of both the Cities Research Institute and the Griffith Institute for Human and Environmental Resilience.

Professor Ryley has extensive academic experience from previous positions at Loughborough University, Edinburgh Napier University, and the University of Ulster in the United Kingdom. His educational background includes a BSc (Hons) in Geography from the University of Bristol and a PhD in transport planning from Edinburgh Napier University.

With over twenty-five years of transport research experience, Professor Ryley's work is industry-linked, transdisciplinary, and problem-based, focusing on aviation sustainability and environmental issues. His research spans four key areas: environmental impacts of air transport, development of alternative air transport solutions (particularly electric aircraft), user attitudes and behavior in aviation, and responses to broader transport challenges. His work involves collaborations with major airports, airlines, and government partners across multiple continents.

Professor Ryley has led research projects totaling over $5 million throughout his career, with eleven projects at Griffith University amounting to approximately $500,000 in external funding. He serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of two leading international transport journals: Journal of Transport Geography and Transportation Research Part D: Transport and the Environment.

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• Member of the Griffith Learning & Teaching Academy

His recent publications demonstrate strong trends toward sustainable aviation solutions, circular economy applications in construction, and aviation's role in climate change mitigation. Professor Ryley's work bridges academic research with practical industry applications, addressing critical challenges in aviation sustainability through innovative approaches to electric aircraft, hydrogen fuel systems, and virtual reality training solutions.

As an educator, Professor Ryley serves as Program Director for multiple aviation-related degrees and currently supervises six doctoral students across diverse aviation research topics. His research aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly focusing on Quality Education, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Climate Action.