Rate My Professor Alex James

Professor Alex James is a Professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Canterbury, a position she has held following her appointment to the university in 2004. Previously, she served as a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University starting in 2001. Her academic qualifications include undergraduate studies in mathematics at Newcastle University, a master's degree from University College London, and a PhD from the University of Leeds on combustion engineering and catalytic converters under John Brindley.

Alex James's research expertise lies in mathematical modelling and computation, applying these tools to diverse real-world challenges in ecology, epidemiology, population dynamics, and gender equity within academia and STEM fields. She co-founded and directs the Mathematical Applications Research Group (MARG) and is affiliated with the Biomathematics Research Centre. As a core member of Te Pūnaha Matatini, she developed influential COVID-19 models that shaped New Zealand's pandemic response, including the four-tier alert level system, testing strategies, digital contact tracing, and assessments of impacts on vulnerable communities; this work earned her the 2021 University of Canterbury Research Medal jointly with Professor Michael Plank and contributed to significant health outcomes through policy advice and public science communication. Her publications include 'Research performance and age explain less than half of the gender gap in New Zealand academia' (2020, with Ann Brower), 'Female-dominated disciplines have lower evaluated research quality' (2024), 'Spatial utilization predicts animal social contact networks are not scale-free' (year not specified), and 'Using mathematical models to compare gender equity across STEMM disciplines' (2022). With a Google Scholar h-index of 31, her research has broad impact, including policy influence and media contributions. James teaches courses such as MATH270 Mathematical Modelling, MATH363, and MATH171, and supervises postgraduate students. She has held roles including Deputy Director of Te Pūnaha Matatini and received awards such as New Zealand Mathematical Society Fellowship (2015), NZMS Research Award (2018), Prime Minister's Science Prize (2020, team), and NZIAM EO Tuck Medal (2024).