Dr Ryan Nolan
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Management
About me:
Ryan joined the University of Exeter Business School in 2022 as a Research Impact Fellow in the UKRI Circular Economy Hub (part of the National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research Programme) and is currently a Research Fellow with NERC RENEW (Theme 4).
Ryan's research investigates how organisations and actors work across boundaries to shape more sustainable futures, with particular emphasis on circular economy transitions and systemic change. Drawing from sociological perspectives and organisation theory, his work explores how tensions between structural forces and individual actions interact in creating better socio-ecological realities.
His research spans two complementary streams. Through a practice lens, the first explores how organisations and institutional actors collaborate to address complex sustainability challenges. The second stream focuses on understanding and enabling sustainable transitions by working directly with stakeholders to study how organisations navigate circular economy implementation across value chains. His recent work has expanded to examine how desirable futures are constructed and enacted through collaborative practices, pedagogical innovation, and organisational transformation.
Ryan sits on the editorial board of The Sociological Review and is an affiliated researcher with the Exeter Centre for Circular Economy, Exeter Centre for Leadership and the Global Systems Institute.
Interests:
His research interests include:
- Sustainable organising and circular economy transitions
- Practice theory and collaborative practices
- Systems approaches to sustainability
- Performativity
Qualifications:
- BA(Hons)
- MA
- PhD
