Professor Rodney Day

I am Professor Rodney Day, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) at LSBU. I am responsible for LSBUs research, innovation and enterprise activities, including business and civic engagement, knowledge exchange, regeneration, IP and research commercialisation.

I have many years experience of large-scale complex research projects, KTPs, and industry and business consultancy. I have a particular interest in technical skills development, and research and innovation ecosystems, balancing the need for in-depth technical capability with broader innovation and interpersonal skills. Over a 10 year period I contributed to national programmes such as GRADschools, Careers in Academia, and was East of England coordinator for the implementation of the Researcher Development Framework. 

Before joining LSBU, I was Dean of the School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science at University of Hertfordshire. My leadership and management responsibilities included teaching, research, innovation and business engagement across a wide range of technical discipline areas, including: aerospace, materials, automotive, civil, electronics and communications engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics and microfluidics. 

My current external roles include chairing a pan-London cluster of over 100 SMEs, large businesses, universities and public sector organisations, whilst representing LSBU on the SE1 Life Sciences Innovation District project, and the London Higher Research and Civic Networks.  I am an executive committee member of the Research and Enterprise Network for Universities (RENU). Within LSBU, I chair the LSBU Research and Innovation Committee, and the LSBU Technician Commitment Group. 

My early academic research was nationally and internationally recognised in the fields of river engineering, sediment transport and the performance of hydraulic structures. I was fortunate to work on a series of national design guides on bridge scour, culvert design and side weirs for the Environment Agency, DETR and CIRIA. Projects included research on the influence of near-bed turbulent flow structures on scour hole development at culvert outlets, local scour around bridge piers, and turbulence closure models in sediment-laden flows. More recently I have diversified my research and innovation interests to include a greater emphasis on CFD, applications of neural networks, and aspects of fluid mechanics. 

I have collaborated on national and regional initiatives including the Alliance Group Energy DTA and the UUK Open Equipment scheme, and held Directorships of Evalu8 Transportations Ltd and UH Ventures Ltd. I currently represent LSBU on the SC1 life sciences innovation district group. In 2006-2007 I supported the FCO project to introduce the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS).

My teaching has included fluid mechanics, hydraulic engineering, river engineering, project management and systems engineering. I've maintained a strong connection with businesses through a variety of IUK and Royal Academy of Engineering initiatives. I’ve particularly enjoyed withering closely with businesses and have been a knowledge-base lead and academic supervisor for many KTPs, and run project management short courses in the UK and Europe. I completed my MBA in 2003, with a dissertation on Performance Management of Emergency Planning in the UK. 

I am a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.