Terry is Professor of Housing Studies in the Institute for Social Research at Swinburne University of Technology, and one of Australia’s most senior housing researchers with an extensive publications and consultancy record. He has researched and written some 200 books, articles, reports and conference papers on housing and urban issues.

He was the founding director of the Swinburne Institute for Social Research (ISR), which started with two staff and is now one of the largest social science research centres in Australia (forty staff and fifty PhD students), and he has been on numerous government and industry committees including Ministerial advisory committees.

Terry developed and taught the suite of flexible delivery housing courses for the Australian social sector (Grad Cert, Grad Dip, Masters) which have helped bring greater professionalism to the social housing sector.