Rate My Professor Tim Walmsley

Tim Walmsley is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Waikato, serving as Assistant Director of the Ahuora Centre for Smart Energy Systems. He earned a BEng(Hons) and PhD in Engineering from the University of Waikato, where his doctoral research investigated strategies to increase the energy efficiency of milk powder production processes. Walmsley also holds a PhD from Brno University of Technology and was appointed Docent in Process Engineering there from January to December 2018. A Chartered Engineer (CEng) and Member of Engineering New Zealand (MEngNZ), he began his academic career at the University of Waikato following his PhD graduation, which directly led to a full-time position. He progressed through the ranks, recently promoted to Associate Professor in Te Kura Mata-Ao School of Engineering in November 2025.

Walmsley's research focuses on process integration, optimisation, and electrification, with applications in high-temperature heat pumps, industrial decarbonisation, pinch analysis, and smart energy systems. His expertise supports the development of tools such as the Ahuora Digital Twin for decarbonising industrial processes in sectors like dairy, wood processing, and kraft mills. Key publications include 'Advancing Industrial Process Electrification and Heat Pump Integration with New Exergy Pinch Analysis Targeting Techniques' (Energies, 2024), 'Heat Pump Bridge Analysis Using the Modified Energy Analysis Approach' (Energies, 2020), and 'A Kraft Mill-Integrated Hydrothermal Liquefaction Process for Liquid Fuel Co-Production' (Energies, 2020). With 215 publications, his work has garnered 4,540 citations and an h-index of 34 on Google Scholar. Walmsley contributes to international symposia on advanced energy systems and heat pumps, and leads efforts in novel heat pump technologies to reduce carbon emissions in industrial drying.