Professor Aoife Hunt MBE
Aoife is a Professor of Crowd Safety and Security Science at the University of Greenwich and a leading specialist in crowd dynamics, simulation modelling and emergency evacuation strategies. She has over 17 years’ experience leading projects and research studies to advance the safety and security of crowded places, supporting the design and operation of sports grounds, arenas, major events, the public realm, hospitals, and transport systems. Aoife has extensive experience in designing video studies of human behaviour and led the world’s largest study into virus transmission risk behaviours in crowded places during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aoife regularly contributes to national and international guidance documents and is currently co-authoring the chapter on evacuation modelling in the SFPE Fire Engineering handbook. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland, and Co-Chair of the Security Institute’s Protective Security Special Interest Group. Aoife is passionate about inspiring children to continue studying mathematics and regularly works with national educational programmes to deliver outreach talks for schools and colleges. She holds memberships and committee roles across the industry and in 2023 was awarded an MBE for her services to the COVID-19 response.