Raymond Maher

Dr. Ray Maher serves as Director of Research and Senior Lecturer in Design (Built Environment) at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Queensland. He holds a Bachelor of Design Studies and a Master of Architecture (coursework) from The University of Queensland, along with a Doctor of Philosophy from the same institution's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, completed in 2021. His PhD thesis, titled 'MetaMAP: A graphical tool for designing sustainability initiatives integrating design, systems, and sustainability science,' developed a decision-support tool for addressing complex sustainability challenges. Earlier, his Master's thesis explored ecological footprint methodology for sustainable development in South East Queensland. Maher co-founded Project Habitation in 2013, an award-winning sustainable design and consultancy practice. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UQ's Centre for Policy Futures, leading interdisciplinary projects. He coordinates courses and lectures on sustainable development for postgraduate and undergraduate students and supervises PhD candidates on topics such as valuing environmental sustainability in the built environment and climate-resilient frameworks for healthy cities.

Maher's research specializes in sustainable development strategy, urban development and design, Sustainable Development Goals, circular economy, and decision-support tools, employing systems, design, and futures thinking to tackle 'wicked' problems through engagement-focused, interdisciplinary, and applied approaches. He has authored or co-authored 32 research outputs, including the book 'SM Bay City - Sustainability Framework: pathways for achieving sustainability outcomes in Manila Bay' (2023), the journal article 'Circular economy 4 business: a program and framework for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) with three case studies' in Journal of Cleaner Production (2023), 'MetaMAP: a graphical tool for designing initiatives to support multiple sustainability goals' in Sustainability Science (2022), and 'Urban tinkering' in Sustainability Science (2018). As Lead Chief Investigator, he has secured over $1 million in research funding and contributed as Chief Investigator to over $5 million. His projects include developing Queensland's Energy, Mining and Manufacturing Sector Adaptation Plan, foresight work for the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and circular economy programs with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland. Maher has presented at international conferences such as Resilience 2017 and the International Conference on Sustainability Science, and contributed to guidelines like the National Rail Station Design Guidelines.
Professional Email: r.maher@uq.edu.au