Bernard is a Life Fellow at Hughes Hall in the University of Cambridge, and an environmental scientist with over 30 years’ experience of teaching and research. He was both founding Director of the Cambridge Unit for Landscape Modelling and initiating Director of the MPhil in GIS and Remote Sensing. He has supervised c100 successful PhD and master’s candidates including many mature and developing-world students who now play leading environmental roles in government and NGOs.

Bernard’s research has contributed novel technologies. These include development of airborne laser-scanning methods for ‘seeing through trees’ which have revolutionised the world-wide discovery and mapping of archaeology under forest canopies. He has published widely and contributed to a number of radio and television programmes in the UK and Europe. He has forged strong links with industry acting as consultant on major projects to a variety of organisations including DP World, Harwich Haven Port Authority, the Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, European Union, and national and local governments. 

He was elected to the IES Council in 2022, elected as Vice Chair in October 2023 and Chair in 2024.