James Greenwood-Lee
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Voice Magazine (Unpublished)
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/08/25
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is your name and position?
James Greenwood-Lee: James Greenwood-Lee. I’m an assistant professor in Applied Maths with Faculty of Science and Technology.
Jacobsen: How did you find AU and why did you choose it?
Lee: That’s interesting. I found AU after actually taking a break or actually walking away from academia. I worked first as a tutor for AU in mathematics and after 5 years of being a tutor, I applied for the assistant professor position and here I am.
Jacobsen: What kind of research questions are you looking into when you’re doing applied math?
Lee: I have two areas of research that I conduct, both focus on mathematical modelling. One, the application is in health studies; how healthcare can be delivered better and the other is in evolutionary biology, basically using mathematical models to explain how systems evolve.
Jacobsen: When you look into how systems evolve with mathematical modelling; what are some of the tools that you use?
Lee: Well, I use a variety of tools from game theory to dynamical systems, hybrid models that use both. The models that I like to use tend to be analytic models but sometimes there’s a need to resort to simulation. With healthcare models, it’s very much the same set of tools really, just a different application.
Jacobsen: What tasks and responsibilities come with your position?
Lee: I think the primary task is providing educational content to our students and most importantly support. So, while we put the courses out there, our biggest role or at least the role that I find the most rewarding is actually working with students getting them over those humps understanding those problems that they can’t understand on their own. There’s also the side where you’re really just providing support in terms of how do I get, I need to get this credit done in order to graduate by this time, how do I get these things done. And you can provide those timelines and help them manage through that.
Jacobsen: If you’re looking to give advice to students h looking at AU for a math degree or for students in terms of performing well while they’re doing their degree; what are they?
Lee: Reach out to your other students, build a community, reach out to us as academics and tutors and get to know us how we’re there. We’re behind this wall. It might seem like we’re not there but we are and most of us really care.
Jacobsen: What are the main challenges students tend to come across when they’re working in math?
Lee: A lot of math students really like to learn on your own model. So, embrace what you like and how you like to learn. Don’t be afraid. If you need to just go off and I don’t hear from you for months, that’s fine. If you can do that and you’re comfortable doing that, then don’t feel like you need to be in contact with me. The flip side is if you’re someone who really needs a partner to go through the course, then absolutely contact me or your tutor or other students. Embrace what your learning style is and go with it; that’s my advice.
Jacobsen: Are there any opportunities for research in math or applied math in at AU?
Lee: Absolutely. I’m in the process of hiring a research assistant to assist me with funds that I have available in conjunction with that, that student will be doing a Math 495 course which is our project’s Math course. So, that opportunity is there and I hope it grows. There’s four of us as academics in the department; two of us actively involved in research. I know that Gustavo also has an active research program and has those opportunities, I think.
Jacobsen: Who is a mathematician; living or dead, who you admire?
Lee: Good question. I’m not sure that I have anyone specifically. To be quite honest, I stumbled into mathematics. I started off as a undergrad in biology and only through the applications of mathematical modelling in biology did I discover my passion for mathematics. So, different route.
Jacobsen: Looking forward for the math faculty at large; what are your hopes for growth in terms of enrolment, program offerings, and so on in the next 5 years?
Lee: The Applied Math Program is relatively new. So, we’re still flushing it out and growing in terms of courses offered. There are challenges with limited resources in order to keep growing and maintain what you currently have but I think we have a nice little program right now and I’m optimistic that there will be opportunities for it to grow.
Jacobsen: Any final thoughts?
Lee: I don’t know. Get out and enjoy life. My head is going towards Star Wars for some reason [Laughs] but I think my point is that there’s more to life than academia and make sure you just enjoy it and the journey.
Jacobsen: Thank you for your time, James.
Lee: No worries.
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