Alex James (mathematician)

Alex James is a British and New Zealand applied mathematician and mathematical biologist whose research involves the mathematical modelling of wildlife behaviour,[1][2] gender disparities in academia,[3] and the epidemiology of COVID-19.[4][5] She is a professor in the school of mathematics and statistics at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.[6]

Education and career

After studying mathematics at Newcastle University in England, James earned a master's degree at University College London, and completed a PhD at the University of Leeds, working there with John Brindley[6] on combustion engineering and catalytic converters.[7]

She became a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University in 2001, and moved to the University of Canterbury in 2004.[6]

Recognition

James was named a Fellow of the New Zealand Mathematical Society (NZMS) in 2015, and won the 2018 NZMS Research Award.[6] She was on the team that won the Prime Minister's Science prize in 2020[8] and won the University of Canterbury Research medal jointly in 2021.[9] She was awarded the NZIAM EO Tuck medal in 2024.[10]

References

  1. ^ Arnold, Naomi (22 April 2013), Crunching the important numbers, Stuff
  2. ^ Morton, Jamie (1 January 2018), "Science Made Simple: Alex James on complex systems", The New Zealand Herald
  3. ^ Thomas, Rachel (23 January 2020), Women in research losing thousands compared with male counterparts, Radio New Zealand
  4. ^ Ballance, Alison (16 April 2020), "Maths, models & insights into the coronavirus pandemic", Our Changing World, Radio New Zealand
  5. ^ Ross, John (17 November 2020), "Only in New Zealand: the academics shaping nation's Covid response", Times Higher Education
  6. ^ a b c d Plank, Mike (August 2020), "Profile: Alex James" (PDF), Newsletter of the New Zealand Mathematical Society (139): 8–9
  7. ^ Alex James, Te Pūnaha Matatini, retrieved 2020-11-27
  8. ^ Prime Ministers Science Prize announcement 2020
  9. ^ UC Research medal 2021
  10. ^ Three women win ANZIAM awards for the first time