Our team
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Director
Jaime Toney is an expert in the science behind climate change, specifically in understanding how different modern climate, environmental and ecosystem changes are from those the Earth has experienced in the past. She recognises that collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches are needed at all levels to make a transition to a sustainable future.
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Associate Directors
Ria Dunkley is a Senior Lecturer in Geography, Environment and Sustainability within the School of Education. She specialises in ecopedagogy, a praxis that aims to enhance understanding of climate crisis and empower learners of all ages and life stages. Ria works to advance research on enabling individuals, communities and organisations to initiate sustainable solutions through research, education and partnership. She leads Community Collaboration work within the GALLANT project, based within the Centre for Sustainable Solutions.
Gioia Falcone is Rankine Chair of Energy Engineering and Head of the Energy and Sustainability Research Group in the James Watt School of Engineering. Her research focuses on low-carbon, sustainable energy solutions, including the definition of whole system pathways toward transformation of the global energy sector from fossil-based to zero-carbon by 2050. She is Vice-Chairperson of the Bureau of the Expert Group on Resource Classification of the United Nations Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Member of the UNECE’s Carbon Neutrality Framework Team. She serves on the Directorate of the Scottish Carbon Capture and Sequestration consortium and on the Board of Directors of the International Geothermal Association.
Petra Meier is Professor of Public Health in the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences unit. She is an expert in public health policy, with a focus on the social, political and environmental determinants of health and wellbeing. She is interested in exploring how systems science approaches can help us “multi-solve” key health, social, economic and environmental challenges, that is, to maximise the co-benefits of policy actions across different goals as well as avoiding unintended negative consequences. She is the Director of the Systems Science in Public Health and Health Economics Research (SIPHER) Consortium.
Neil Metcalfe is based in the School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine in MVLS. His research focusses on the ecology, physiology and behaviour of vertebrate animals, principally fish and birds; a major interest is in the factors influencing variation in the performance of wild salmon. He is on the Scientific Advisory Committee of NatureScot and on the Board of the Clyde River Foundation; he’s also a keen gardener and birdwatcher, and does bat, butterfly and bird surveys in his local patch.
Stewart Miller is Sustainability Manager for the University of Glasgow, based within Property and Development Management. He works with a variety of colleagues from across University Services and beyond to develop strategy and policy relating to carbon management, waste management, biodiversity, travel and transport, construction, sustainable food, sustainable procurement, and climate change adaptation. He supported the Sustainability Working Group to develop the latest climate change strategy, Glasgow Green, for the University, works closely with our student GUEST team, and sits on the University’s Community Engagement Group.
Mia Perry is an educational researcher, facilitator and activist. Working across disciplines, geographies, sectors and cultures, Mia specialises in literacies and learning, arts and cultural production, and methodologies of research and teaching. Mia’s current work connects community and international development with sustainability; she co-directs the Sustainable Futures in Africa network. She is committed to ensuring that the University of Glasgow utilises its diverse resources and influence to be a positive influence on our collective response to the climate crisis.
Deirdre Shaw is Professor of Consumer Ethics and Sustainability in the Adam Smith Business School. She is an expert in consumption ethics. Her work focuses on consumer research with a specific focus on understanding and mobilising more sustainable behaviours. It is positioned within a multiple stakeholder context, recognising the importance of collaboration and action across multiple stakeholders to support sustainable actions.
Rhys Williams is Lecturer in Energy & Environmental Humanities in the School of Critical Studies. He works on the intersection between fantasy and narrative on the one hand, and energy, ecology, and infrastructure on the other. He is a member of the Petrocultures Research Group, the After Oil Research Group, and the Grierson Research Group. He formerly organised the Energy and Ecology Group at UofG.
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Honorary Fellows
Des McNulty
Des McNulty helped set up Policy Scotland at the University of Glasgow, becoming Dean for Public Policy in 2016 and then Assistant Vice Principal for civic engagement and place leadership, working with the city on its resilience and economic development strategies. With Jaime Toney, he led the Green Recovery Dialogues which were a catalyst for collaboration on climate action between the University and its civic partners. Before joining Glasgow University in 2012, Des was an elected member of the Scottish Parliament 1999-2011 where he served as Minister for Social Justice and as Chair of the Parliament’s Finance Committee. He played an influential role in the passage of the Climate Change (Scotland) 2009 Act, framing requirements for interim targets and reporting requirements which have been influential in ensuring accountability both in Scotland and in other jurisdictions where similar reporting arrangements have been adopted. He was the first environmental convenor in Scottish local government.
Prof John Crawford
John Crawford is Professor in Strategy and Technology Management and a theoretical biologist with a research focus on systems approaches. He has active programmes of research on the integrated behaviour of the soil-plant-microbe system, food system optimisation; and in the application of AI in systems biology including tissue- and organ-level modelling of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Professor Crawford was previously Science Director at Rothamsted Research in the UK and Complex Systems programme lead in the executive team for the University of Sydney’s $0.5B Charles Perkins Centre, linking sustainable agriculture, food, diet and health. He was the Academic Champion for the UKRI’s successful bid to the UK Government for the £90M Industry Strategy Challenge “Transforming Food Production” programme and remains on the Steering Board. He is also current Chair of BBSRC’s Committee B.
In addition to academic work, Professor Crawford has undertaken consultancies with major multinational companies at the strategic level including supporting one of the largest acquisitions and mergers in history.
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Coordinator
Nicola Smock 
Nicola Smock joined the Centre in August 2022 as Centre Co-ordinator having worked at the University for six years. Her roles at UofG include Ceremonial Event Manager and, most recently, External Relations Senior Event Co-ordinator. Nicola worked closely with colleagues to deliver the University’s COP26 event programme.
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Education Officer
This post is currently vacant.
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Sustainable Laboratories Project
Rory is Sustainable Laboratories Advisor on the Centre's Sustainable Laboratories Project, based in Property and Development Management, and an Affiliate in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences. Rory studied biology at the University of Dundee and completed a PhD in Earth Science at UofG researching the preservation of biomarkers in Martian analogues. He has a passion for furthering sustainable lab practice having worked in multiple labs and seeing just how much waste they can produce. His work focuses on helping laboratories within the University to achieve more sustainable practice to mitigate the negative environmental effects laboratories can have. He works closely with GUEST, Estates and the Centre for Sustainable Solutions to implement the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) in participating laboratories around the University.
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Glasgow's City Portrait Project
Annika Hjelmskog is a Research Associate in the School of Social and Public Health Sciences. She works on inclusive and sustainable economies from a public health perspective, and is interested in the relationships between social, environmental and economic inequalities. Annika is working on solutions-focussed research, primarily a transdisciplinary ‘City Portrait’ for Glasgow. The Glasgow's City Portrait Project applies the principles of Doughnut Economics to the scale of the city. She is passionate about improving the health of both people and planet, in a way that reduces ecological harm and social injustice.
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GALLANT Programme Team
The GALLANT Research Programme started in January 2022 as a collaboration between the Centre for Sustainable Solutions and Glasgow City Council. A full list of the GALLANT team can be found on the Programme's webpage.
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