Rhodri Thomas is Professor of Tourism and Events Policy and Dean of The School of Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management at Leeds Beckett University.
Originally trained as an economist, Rhodri now engages in inter-disciplinary research in the context of tourism and the events sector. His particular research interests are: (a) public policy studies, especially in relation to small firms, and (b) commercial innovation and knowledge exchange with universities. His latest book entitled Questioning the Assessment of Research Impact: Illusions, Myths and Marginal Sectors has recently been published by Palgrave Macmillan and was followed by a piece in The Times Higher Education.
Rhodri recently acted as a member of New Zealand’s Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) Business and Economics Panel. He has previously acted as a 'specialist expert' on policy issues for the OECD, the European Commission and for government departments and other agencies in the UK and elsewhere. He has completed several Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) grant and non-grant funded projects and is a member of their Peer Review College.
Rhodri is Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events (ESCI listed; ABDC B), Co-ordinating Editor for the International Journal of Hospitality Management (ABS 3* SSCI IF 3.443) and Academic Editor for Sustainability (SSCI IF 2.075). He sits on the Editorial Advisory Boards of Tourism Management, Tourism Management Perspectives, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Journal of Services Research, Journal of Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, and Sci.
Current research is primarily concerned with the impact of academic knowledge production on non-academic constituencies within the context of public policy debates about performance-based research funding.
