Rate My Professor Ian Williams

Ian Williams is Professor of Applied Environmental Science in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton, where he serves as Associate Dean (Enterprise) and Head of the Centre for Environmental Sciences. He obtained a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Surrey in 1988 and a PhD in Public Attitudes to Air Pollution from Road Traffic from Middlesex University in 1995. His academic career commenced as a Lecturer at Middlesex University from 1989 to 2000, followed by founding and heading the Centre for Waste Management at the University of Central Lancashire from 2000 to 2004. Since 2005, he has held his professorial position at Southampton.

Williams specializes in environmental science and waste (resource) management, addressing pollution, sustainability, waste- and carbon-related issues. His current research examines microplastics in marine and freshwater environments, sewage sludge, wastewater treatment plants, ship emission control scenarios, marine environmental impacts and mitigation, and circular economies for port-cities and the hairdressing sector. He participates in research groups including the Infrastructure Group, Institute for Life Sciences, Sustainability and Resilience Institute, Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute, and Ocean Justice. With over 333 publications in books and peer-reviewed journals, plus more than 100 commercial project reports, notable works include 'Transitioning to a circular economy for plastics with an artist in residence (TRACE-P)' (Journal of Cleaner Production, 2025), 'Impact assessment of ship scrubber effluents reveals adverse effects at realistic environmental concentrations—combining a systematic review of whole effluent ecotoxicological studies with dilution modeling' (Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2025), and 'Can architectural salvage contribute to net zero resource and waste management?' (Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Waste and Resource Management, 2025). He has earned awards such as the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Campus Sustainability Research Award (2018), International Solid Waste Association Publication Awards (2016, 2017), Institution of Civil Engineers Baker Medal (2010), multiple Chartered Institute of Wastes Management awards, and the Primary Engineer MacRobert Gold Medal (2024). Williams has given numerous keynote and invited lectures and appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Costing the Earth. His research has amassed over 8,500 citations.