Professor Simon Kelley is a retired academic geologist and isotope geochemist, who spent much of his career researching the rates and timescales of geological processes and studying the Earth’s long history of environmental change. He also contributed to digital education for climate literacy and increased global access to geological education by leading the Virtual Microscope for Earth Sciences project.

Simon spent many years at the Open University before heading north to lead the UK’s largest environment-focused research departments at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Leeds. His leadership included advocating highly interdisciplinary research and teaching, encouraging and incubating spinouts and governance roles including the Council of the University of Leeds.

Milton Keynes has been Simon’s home for over 35 years, he is very enthusiastic about the city’s success. Simon believes that collaboration between business, university and government will take Milton Keynes to an even more successful, sustainable, and carbon neutral future.