Centre staff
Dr David James
Senior sports engineer, Royal Academy of Engineering Public Engagement Fellow
Phone 0114 225 5412
Email d.james@shu.ac.uk
Dr David James is a senior lecturer in sports engineering at Sheffield Hallam University. He leads the University's MSc in sports engineering and maintains a wide range of research interests.
David has a mechanical engineering background with a PhD from the University of Sheffield. He has been privileged to work within the Centre for Sports Engineering Research for 11 years and has published extensively in a range of sports engineering areas. David's current research is focusing on the historical impact of technology in track and field events and the ethical considerations of an increasingly scientific sporting arena. He is an elected member of the International Sports Engineering Association executive committee.
David is a leading science communicator and was awarded the very first fellowship in public engagement from the Royal Academy of Engineering. He regularly delivers high profile keynote lectures on the role that technology plays in sport and has appeared on countless stages including the Cheltenham Science Festival; Manchester Science Festival, the British Science Festival, and the Royal Institute's Faraday lecture theatre.
Background
- 2:1 Mechanical Engineering MEng from the University of Sheffield
- PhD in the dynamics of cricket from the University of Sheffield
- Leading science communicator with experience of delivering over 300 public engagement events
- Course developer and leader of CSER's MSc Sports Engineering
- Project manager of many large and complex projects (Objective 1, Arts Council, EPSRC, British Council)
- Member of the International Sports Engineering Association executive committee
- Published widely in the field
Skills
- Science communication / public engagement / school activities
- Mechanics of solids
- Aerodynamics
- Analytical modelling
- Project management
Research interests
- History of technology of sport
- The ethics of using technology to enhance athletic performance
- The effect of atmospheric conditions on ball flight
- Spin decay of sports balls in flight
- The aerodynamics of dart flight
Selected publications
Foster L., James, D. and Haake, S. (2011). The influence of the Olympic Games on athletic performance. Proceedings of the 3rd International conference on Mathematics in Sport.
Haake, S.J., James, D. and Foster, L. (2010) 'The effect of technology intervention in sport: do they work?', The Japanese Symposium on Sports and Human Dynamics, No. 10-53, pp 479-484.
Foster, L., James, D. and Haake, S.J. (2010). Understanding the influence of population size on athletic performance. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport - Engineering Emotion, Vol. 2, pp 3183-3189, Vienna.
James, D.M. (2010). The ethics of using engineering to enhance athletic performance. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport - Engineering Emotion, (Eds. A. Sabo, S. Litzenberger, P. Kafka and C. Sabo), Vol. 2, pp 3405-3410.
James D.M. and Haake S.J. (2008). The spin decay of sports balls in flight. In: The Engineering of Sport 7: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (eds M. Estivalet and P. Brisson) Vol 2, pp. 165-170, Springer, USA.
James, D. M. (2008). The physics of winning—engineering the world of sport. Phys. Educ. 43, 500-505.
Carré M.J, James, D.M. and Haake, S.J. (2006). A hybrid method for assessing the performance of sports surfaces during ball impacts. Proc. Instn. Mech Engrs. Part L: Journal of Materials: Design and Applications, 220, 31-39.
James, D.M. and Haake, S.J. (2006). Using sport to educate and enthuse young people about engineering and the physical sciences. In: The Engineering of Sport 6: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (eds E. F. Moritz and S.J. Haake) Vol 3, pp. 273-278, Springer, USA.
James, D.M., Carré, M.J. and Haake, S.J. (2006). Predicting the playing characteristics of cricket pitches. Sports Engineering, 8, 193-207.
James, D.M., Carré, M.J. and Haake, S.J. (2006). Studies on the oblique impact of a cricket ball on a cricket pitch. In: The Engineering of Sport 6: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (eds E. F. Moritz and S.J. Haake) Vol 1, pp. 235-240, Springer, USA.
Adams, W.A., S.W. Baker, D.M. James and R.J. Young (2005). Measuring and modelling the bounce and pace of County Championship cricket pitches. Int. Turfgrass Soc. Res. J 10: 1021-1026.
Adams, W.A, Baker, S.W., Carre, M.J., Young, R.J. and James, D.M. (2004). Pitch Properties and Performance. A publication of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Carré, M.J., James, D.M. and Haake, S.J. (2004). Impact of a non-homogenous sphere on a rigid surface. Proc. Instn. Mech Engrs. Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, 218, 273-281
James, D.M., Carré, M.J. and Haake, S.J. (2004). The playing performance of county cricket pitches. Sports Engineering, 7, 1-14.
James, D.M., Carré, M.J. and Haake, S.J. (2004). The normal impact of a cricket ball on a cricket pitch. In: The Engineering of Sport 5: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (eds M. Hubbard, R.D. Mehta and J.M. Pallis) Vol 2, pp. 66-72, ISEA, UK.
James, D.M., Carré, M.J. and Haake, S.J. (2002) The dynamic behaviour of a cricket ball impact and the effects of pitch construction. In: The Engineering of sport 4. (Ed. by S Ujihashi and S.J. Haake), 495-500, Blackwell Science, Oxford.
