Mr Richard Sutton B.Sc.(Hons), M.Sc., MIMA, MIET, AMIMechE

• Programme Director for the HE STEM foundation year and foundation year of all fou-year BEng Engineering programmes.
• Senior Lecturer in Engineering Mathematics
• Admissions Tutor for Foundation Engineering courses
• Support Liaison Tutor between the School of Engineering and Student Services.

• Member of the Institute of Mathematics (IMA)
• Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)
• Associate member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)

Academic interests include Differential and Integral calculus, algebraic methods, trigonometric methods, complex number theory and classical mechanics. 

Current modules taught:

• Mathematics
• Introduction to Mathematics and Science
• Further Mathematics
• Engineering Science
• Integrating Project
• Analytical Methods
• Group Industrial Project

Previous research conducted at Swansea University has included the application of Computer Science to aid in the detection of harmful DNA patterns using approximate string searching theory. Programs were developed within Java and C++ to perform the calculations with a heavy reliance on matrix manipulation and processing. These programs applied, among others, the Needleman-Wunsch algorithm as a Bioinformatics tool.

I have also conducted statistical research on the effects of meteorological conditions on businesses in Wales. This involved a large scale of deseasonalising time series data together with quantitative forecasting methods.

Currently, research interests are the effects of mathematics support classes on student understanding and retention and the use of online teaching methods to aid learning.

• External lecturer (for Engineering Science) on behalf of UWTSD for the International Foundation Programme (Inlingua).
• Worked together with Arnaud Marotin (UWTSD) and Cardiff University to set up a faculty-wide mathematics and science support session.