Brunel Institute Appoints New Director
Dr James Boyd has been appointed as the new Director of the Brunel Institute, a partnership between the SS Great Britain Trust and the University of Bristol.
We are delighted to announce that Dr James Boyd has been appointed as the new Director of the Brunel Institute, a partnership between the SS Great Britain Trust and the University of Bristol.
James joined the Trust in 2018 as Brunel History Fellow, became Head of Research in 2021, and has been instrumental in advancing research, academic collaboration, and public access to our world-class collections. In his new role, he will lead the Institute’s conservation, collections, education, and community programmes, ensuring we continue to innovate and inspire.
“Stepping into this new role provides the opportunity to expand collaboration and discovery from the collections with academic partners, museum partners, and the public, and to ensure that the Trust continues to innovate in its curatorial and conservation work.”
We would also like to warmly thank Tim Bryan, who has led the Institute with distinction since May 2019. As Director, Tim has supported transformative funding bids, most recently for the reimagining of our Dockyard Museum.
Tim, a noted Brunel historian and author of Iron, Stone & Steam: Brunel’s Railway Empire (2023), will step down as Director on 1 August to lead the delivery of the new Dockyard Museum, opening in July 2026, an ambitious and collaborative project exploring how the SS Great Britain changed the world and the remarkable stories of those who sailed on her between 1845 and 1886.
“I’m really pleased to welcome James as the new Director of the Brunel Institute, I know he will play a vital role in moving the Institute and the Trust forward in the years ahead. I’m equally excited to play a major role in what promises to be one of the most important developments undertaken by the Trust in recent years.” Tim Bryan
Congratulations to James and Tim on their new chapters. We look forward to what’s ahead for both the Institute and the Trust!
About the Brunel Institute
The Brunel Institute is a collaboration between the SS Great Britain Trust and University of Bristol. The collections and research centre houses the Trust’s maritime archive, and the University of Bristol Brunel archive, and is home to the Trust’s curatorial, education and conservation work, and academic collaboration.
Andrew Edwards, CEO of SS Great Britain Trust said, “I’m delighted to see our partnership with the University of Bristol continue under James’s leadership. His understanding of our collections has developed over years of research with them and with partners across the sector, and I’m excited to see how he will inspire young people, visitors and communities with his knowledge, passion and collaborative approach.”
Professor Judith Squires, Deputy-Vice Chancellor and Provost at the University of Bristol said: “We welcome the appointment of Dr James Boyd as the new Director of the Brunel Institute and look forward to further strengthening the partnership between the SS Great Britain Trust and the University of Bristol under his leadership.
