Sarah Jane Wakes is an English-born New Zealand applied mathematician and engineer, and is a full professor at the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

. She is the first woman to be head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the university.

Academic career

Wakes was born in England. Wakes completed a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

titled ''The development of a sand wave'' at the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...

in 1991. Wakes was a chartered engineer and marine engineer in the UK, and through the UK Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology is also a chartered engineer in New Zealand. Wakes joined the University of Otago in 2002, initially in the design department, then in applied sciences. Wakes has also been the director of the university's Clothing and Textile Sciences programme. In 2021 Wakes was appointed as the head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. She was the first woman to lead the department in the university's 150-year history. Wakes was appointed a full professor in 2024, and as of 2024 is a member of the university

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. Wakes is considered an expert on

computational fluid dynamics Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid dynamics, fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required ...

, and has researched coastal management, engineering design and wind flow over geomorphology such as dunes. She is also interested in sedimentation effects. Wakes is part of a Plant & Food Research-led MBIE-funded project researching design of

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...

structures for the open ocean. She also works on the sustainability of materials. In 2022 Wakes was elected as a Fellow of

Engineering New Zealand Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau (ENZ; previously the New Zealand Institution of Engineers – NZIE and then Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand – IPENZ) is a not-for-profit professional body that promotes the integrity ...

, in recognition of her contribution to engineering education.

Selected works

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References

External links

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Adventures (not) on the beach: Wind flow over coastal dune systems
' Seminar by Wakes, 10 March 2022, via YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Wakes, Sarah Year of birth missing (living people) Living people New Zealand academics New Zealand women academics Alumni of the University of Nottingham Academic staff of the University of Otago New Zealand engineers New Zealand women engineers English emigrants to New Zealand