He became an oil spill activist who has fought for improved systems of oversight and safety in oil tankers and transportion both in the Shetland Islands and Prince William Sound. Dr. Wills holds M.A. Honours and Ph.D. degrees in Geography from the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of A Place in the Sun, Shetland Denial, which is partially based on his experiences in Cordova and Valdez, Alaska and Innocent Passage, a detailed account of the wreck of the tanker Braer in 1993. Dr. Wills has worked with the Prince William Sound Regional Citizen's Advisory Council (RCAC) on research about the effects of oil spills, as well as oil spill response and prevention issues.