Rhys is a social geographer interested in migration, multiculturalism, civic participation, and belonging. He completed his BA (2006), MA (2007) and PhD (2011) at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He was appointed to a lectureship in human geography at DGES in 2011. Rhys is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is co-convenor of the WISERD research network Migration Research Wales, and a member of the Centre for Welsh Politics and Society executive.

Rhys' research interests are broadly concerned with migration, multiculturalism, civic participation, and belonging. Specifically, he is interested in lifestyle migration and regional inequalities, transnational belonging and non-beloning in minority nations (largely focussing on EU migration and Brexit in Wales), international migration and religious diversity in rural regions, and civic participation as place-making activities.

Rhys led the Work Package 'Migrants and minorities in civil society' for the ESRC Research Centre WISERD Civil Society (2014-2019), and was Co-I on the Horizon2020 project IMAJINE, working on the work package 'Migration, territorial inequalities, and spatial injustice' led from the University of Groningen. He is also involved in two work pacakages of WISERD's current incarnation as an ESRC Research Centre, WISERD Civic Stratification and Civil Repair (2019-2024): 'Borders, boundary mechanisms, and migration' (led from Bangor University) and 'Populism, conflict, and political polarisation'. Rhys was also co-I on the ESRC research project 'Mobilising Voluntary Action in the four UK jurisdictions: learning from today, prepared for tomorrow', serving as the academic lead for Wales.

Chair, DGES Examination Board