Tim Coole has worked in the education sector for over 30 years, combining senior academic leadership with strong industry engagement and applied research. He began his academic career at Staffordshire University as a PhD student in 1993, completing his doctorate in 1998, and then continued as a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer until October 1999.
He subsequently joined Buckinghamshire New University (then BCUC) as a Senior Lecturer, where he held a range of roles over the next 21 years and progressed into leadership positions, including Deputy Head of School. Tim later moved to UCN at Newbury College, where he was responsible for establishing and growing the BEng programme.
Tim is recognised for building productive partnerships with employers and professional bodies. He developed a new link with BMW Oxford to support the training of engineering and production managers, alongside wider relationships that secured additional funding and enabled the delivery of short courses across management and technical disciplines.
Alongside his teaching and leadership, Tim has maintained an active research profile, publishing in international conferences and journals. His research interests include sustainable and environmental design and the development of sustainable systems and processes for emerging economies. He currently supervises PhD research examining how design influences the environmental impact of long-distance pipelines in remote regions, including projects in Uganda, Azerbaijan, and Tanzania. Additional areas include rapid prototyping, ceramic machining and tool wear, Lean manufacturing optimisation, and biocompatible ceramics for medical applications.
He has received several honours, including the Gerald Frewer Memorial Trophy (2015) and the Thomas Fattorini award, and was awarded the Windsor Treaty Award for inter-university collaboration with EST in Portugal. Tim has also contributed extensively to governance, serving two terms on the CHEAD board of governors (including four years as Treasurer) and as a governor at UTC Aylesbury.
Tim joined the Board to bring a balanced perspective that supports student outcomes, strengthens local and regional industry links, and builds clear progression routes into higher education and professional practice.