Ed Galea

Ed Galea (full name, Edwin Richard Galea) is a renowned British academic specializing in fire safety engineering and evacuation dynamics. He is the founding director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group (FSEG) at the University of Greenwich, where he has conducted pioneering research in fire modeling, human behavior in emergencies, and evacuation simulation since 1986.

Early Life and Education

Galea was born in Melbourne, Australia , and developed an early interest in science and engineering. He pursued a bachelor's degree in Science, majoring in Physics and Mathematics at Monash University (1976 – 1980), followed by a Diploma in Education Monash University (1980-1981) and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, with a focus on magnetohydrodynamics from Newcastle University, New South Wales (1981-1984).

Early Career

Upon graduating Galea secured a position as an industrial mathematician at the Melbourne research laboratory for BHP (1984 – 1985). Galea’s principal role with BHP was to advise on and to implement numerical solution methods for industrial processes. A major project he worked on while at BHP involved the numerical modelling of heat transfer in the continuous casting of steel that utilised electro-magnetic stirring of molten steel. In 1985 Galea was offered a one-year post-doctoral position at St.Andrews University in Scotland to work on the mathematical modelling of magnetic flux tubes in the solar atmosphere. Galea moved to the UK in October 1985, took up the position at St. Andrews but remained there for only a few months (1985 – 1986).

Academic Career

Galea's academic career in fire safety research began at Thames Polytechnic in London (1986) with a three year post-doctoral position focused on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling of fire. His project was concerned with utilising the ‘new’ technique of CFD fire modelling to explore the fire dynamics of the fatal Manchester Airport B737 fire of 1985 that claimed the lives of 55 people. As such, it was one of the first applications of CFD fire modelling to the study of fatal post-crash aircraft fire. Thames Polytechnic became the University of Greenwich in 1992, and Galea was appointed as Senior Lecturer in 1988, Reader (Associate Professor) in 1991 and full Professor in 1992. At the age of 34, he was the youngest Professor appointed by the University. He established the Fire Safety Engineering Group (FSEG) at the University of Greenwich in 1992 (http://fseg.gre.ac.uk) and under his leadership, FSEG has become a world-leading research group in fire safety engineering, known for its innovative approaches to understanding and modeling fire dynamics and human behavior during emergencies.

Research Contributions

Ed Galea's research has significantly advanced the field of fire safety engineering. He has developed several computational tools for fire and evacuation modeling, SMARTFIRE for CFD fire modelling, and the EXODUS suite of agent-based evacuation models including, buildingEXODUS, maritimeEXODUS, urbanEXODUS, matEXODUS and airEXODUS software tools, which are widely used by researchers and practitioners globally.

His work encompasses various aspects of fire safety, from the detailed simulation of fire spread to the analysis of human behavior during evacuations. Galea has conducted extensive studies on the evacuation of high-rise buildings, ships, aircraft and urban environments, contributing to improved safety standards and practices in these environments.

Awards and Honors

Throughout his career, Ed Galea has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to fire safety engineering. These include:

2001 British Computer Society Gold Medal for IT;

2002 Queen’s Anniversary Prize;

2006 and 2017 Royal Aeronautical Society’s Gold Award ;

2013 Royal Institution of Naval Architecture Medal of Distinction;

He has also been recognized by professional organizations such as the Institution of Fire Engineers and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.

Publications and Divulgation

Ed Galea has authored or co-authored over 350 peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters. His publications are widely cited and have influenced both academic research and practical applications in fire safety engineering. Galea has been interviewed in many news articles and documentaries focusing on fire and evacuation disasters.

Professional Involvement

Galea is actively involved in several professional organizations and committees related to fire safety and evacuation. He frequently serves as a consultant to government agencies, regulatory bodies, and industry, providing expert advice on fire safety standards and policies. He is a charted fire safety engineer, a charted mathematician and a fellow of the IFE and IMA.

Personal Life

Ed Galea resides in London [location] and is known for his dedication to education and mentoring the next generation of fire safety engineers – he has supervised to completion 35 PhD students. He has been happily married since 1992. He enjoys photography, astronomy, driving performance cars and the cinema in his spare time.