Professor James joined the WaikatoLink Board in April 2020. As the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research at the University of Waikato, Bryony leads the University’s strategic and research performance outcomes – improving research performance, increasing research funding and maximising the University’s benefit from the commercialisation of research.

Bryony gained a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Chemical and Materials Engineering from the University of Bath and later moved to the University of Auckland to complete a PhD in Materials Engineering. Bryony has a strong research background in materials science and engineering, and food engineering. Bryony is a Fellow of Engineering NZ, a member of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi, and a member of the Physical Sciences Investment Panel for Return on Science.