DrTilly Collins

A senior academic with roles as an Advanced Research Fellow, a Senior Teaching Fellow as well as being Deputy Director of Imperial College’s Centre for Environmental Policy (CEP). My work is interdisciplinary and has a theme of enhancing opportunity for increased ecological, social and economic sustainability in land-use transitions. This work currently across three domains, exploring consequences of the expansion of tree crops (e.g. viticulture & palm-crop in West Africa), of greenspace in cities and within the PREPP group considering environmental pesticide pollution. With broad research interests (including in novel proteins such as insects as food and feed), I publish regularly on aspects of Urban Ecology, Entomology and Sustainability. I also contribute regularly to the wider media on sustainability, ecology and entomology topics and have appeared on (amongst others) Radio 4's TODAY and Loose Ends shows, Blue Peter, First News, several 'Insect Eating' documentaries and on the pages of many popular and specialist magazines. An enthusiasm for scientific outreach leads me to give talks in a wide variety of venues and circumstances.

After studying trees at Merrist Wood Agricultural College and a BSc in Ecology at the University of Sussex, my PhD (2001) was in the ecology of the aphid fauna of willow trees and gives me roots in applied entomology and crop pest biology. After post doctoral appointments in the Department of Environmental Science & Technology (DEST) of Imperial College and in the School of Biology at Leeds University, I returned to Imperial College's Life Sciences where I remained based until 2012. Whilst there I was the Senior Womens' Tutor, convened the second undergraduate year for Biology Degrees, several undergraduate modules and the created the popular MSc in Ecological Applications.

My current teaching portfolio covers MSc Quantitative Skills and Ecology. I oversee the CEP's inter-departmental contribution to the teaching of Natural Resource Management. I have been the Senior Women's Tutor and have received President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching and for Excellence in Pastoral Care and for Excellence in Culture and Community.

In addition to my work at Imperial College, I have been a Senior Lecturer in Entomology at Harper Adams University, consult on sustainability challenges and act as an Environmental Consultant and advise international projects on management and development pathways.