School Mission

School Vision

We aim to be acknowledged as the key provider of quantitative skills at James Cook University and producer of research and provider of education at a world-class level in selected niche areas. Our influence will be worldwide, through the University's position as a world leader in research and education of relevance to life in the tropics.

School History (Maths and Physics)

The roots of the present School were planted at the time James Cook University of North Queensland Act was signed in 1970. The Department of Mathematics was headed by Foundation Professor Basil Rennie, and the Department of Physics was led by Foundation Professor James Ward. Both departments were accommodated on the Pimlico Campus until the new building on the Douglas Campus was inaugurated in 1974. The first PhD from either Department was by (Ronald) Maurice Leigh in 1973 on Analysis of Tropospheric Water Vapour and Cloudiness. This not only set the direction that Mathematics and Physics would grow into a strong research School, but also set the direction towards a research emphasis on tropical research - which eventually gained the catch phrase Life in the Tropics.

Jim Ward retired from the Department of Physics in 1983, and Basil Rennie followed soon after. Mathematics was temporarily led by Associate Professor Brian Richards until the University appointed Professor Roger Hosking to be the Head of the Department of Mathematics. Associate Professor Ray Taylor headed the Department of Physics for the interim period before Professor Mal Heron was appointed to that position in 1986.

In 1995 the University had a major re-structuring exercise with the formation of bigger Schools and fewer Faculties. In this process the Departments of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science were amalgamated into a mega-school with Professor Mal Heron as the Head of School and Professor Roger Hosking and Professor Gopal Gupta heading the Divisions of Mathematics and Computer Science respectively. With the growth bubble in IT, this structure was under stress and eventually in 1997 split into two Schools; the School of Information Technology, and the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences which took on its present form.

The School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (or MPS) was headed by Professor Mal Heron up until the end of 2003, at which time Dr Wayne Read became Head of School. The co-location of Maths and Physics from the time of the move in 1974 produced many links and collaborations between the two Departments, so when the time for amalgamation came it was relatively easy to do and the School still benefits from the commonalities between the two disciplines. The present-day MPS is a vibrant School with a strong and growing research presence. Maths and Physics joined with the School of IT in 2006 and IT staff moved so that the whole school was housed in the same building.

Research Directions

The strategic research directions of the various disciplines within the School are outlined below:

MATHEMATICS

The research directions of mathematics can be broadly described as modelling and computation. Specific projects include problems in:

• Ecology
• Groundwater Flow
• Fluid Dynamics
• Oceanography

PHYSICS

The School's research interests in physics include both experimental and theoretical investigations that fall within one of the following areas:

• Astronomy/Astrophysics
• Coastal Oceanography
• Physics of Remote Sensing
• Theoretical Physics
• Sports Biomechanics

STATISTICS

The strategic research direction of the statistical intelligent data analysis (SIDA) housed within the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences is in developing and testing data mining tools for uncovering hidden relationships in mega-sized data sets. Particular emphasis is placed in the areas of:

• Bioinformatics
• Chemo-informatics
• Climatology
• Remote Sensing

Where possible researchers in the School seek opportunities for applying and developing methodologies that compliment the core research directions of the University.

School Maps