Richard read Mechanical Engineering as an undergraduate at the University of Bradford and has a Masters degree in Manufacturing Technology & Management from the Open University. In addition he has a BA in Humanities, specialising in Philosophy, from Swansea University.

He is currently Head of the School of Logistics and Manufacturing Engineering and joint director of the Non Destructive Testing Research Centre at Swansea Metrpolitan University, where he has been since 1995. He was previously Head of the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and was also Project Director for the AutoTechnium project, based at Swansea University.

Before pursuing an academic career, Richard worked in the steel and copper industries in a variety of technical and managerial roles. He is a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT). He is a member of the National Committee of CILT (Cymru) and a member of the Welsh Transport Research Hub management group.

Research interests:

Richard's main research interests are in stress analysis and the application of non-destructive testing techniques in the evaluation of material behaviour, including photoelasticity and infrared thermography. He is also interested in the automotive industry, in quality and manufacturing systems and has interests in ethical aspects of engineering.

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Selected papers:

• Donne K E, Thomas R D, Davies C "Photoelastic Stress and thermographic measurements of automotive windscreen defects generated by projectile impact Thermology International Journal, 17 (3), 110-113 (2007), ISSN-1560-604X

• Calvert G, Donne K E , Thomas R D "Photoelasticity measurement and analysis of automotive windscreens" 2nd World Congress on Engineering Asset Management and 4th international Conference on Condition Monitoring, 2007.

• Donne K E, Calvert G, Thomas R D "Non destructive evaluation of fracture in automotive windscreens" 2nd World Congress on Engineering Asset Management and 4th international Conference on Condition Monitoring, 2007

• Donne K E, Thomas R D, Davies C "Photoelastic Stress and thermographic measurements of automotive windscreen defects generated by projectile impact", 6th International Conference Quality Reliability Maintenance, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, UK, 2007. Selected for publication in the Dec 2007 issue of International Journal of Quality, Reliability in Engineering (Wiley)

• Donne K.E., Payne C., Archer M.A. & Thomas R (April 2004). Computer Modelling of Novel Fastener Systems, 5th International Conference Quality, Reliability & Maintenance, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, UK

• Donne, K.E., Thomas, R.D., Fage-Moreel, A. (March 2002). The application of finite element analysis in improving the reliability of automotive components. 4th International Conference Quality Reliability Maintenance, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, UK, 30th-31st March 2002. pp 291-294