Dr Jennifer Rowson

MEng, PhD

Lecturer

Department of Mechanical Engineering
The University of Sheffield
Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD

Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 7878
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 7890

email : j.rowson@sheffield.ac.uk

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Profile

Jennifer Rowson is a Lecturer in Design and Simulation in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. She has a first class degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sheffield and a PhD in packaging and simulation. Upon completion of her PhD, she held posts as a Research Associate and University Teaching Fellow in the Department.

In 2004 she was awarded the Faraday Packaging Partnership Associate of the Year award for her work during her PhD. Jennifer currently lectures on simulation techniques and design principles using inventive teaching techniques to aid the students' learning of new software packages.

Research Interests

Jennifer's research interests are split into two areas, human to environment interaction and computer simulation of a variety of subjects. Her current work investigates the development and use of uncertainty analysis within the simulation environment. The research themes are wide ranging and include:

• Consumer packaging
• Inclusive design methodologies
• Ageing and its influence on design
• Measuring consumer opening strengths
• Design for sustainability
• Inclusive design
• Bayesian uncertainty analysis
• Optimisation under uncertainty

Teaching

• MEC114 Mechanical Engineering Techniques
• MEC209 Design of Structures, Machines and Systems course
• MEC313 Finite Element Techniques course
• MEC416 Computer Simulation and Validation course
• Part of team organising MEC307 Group Design Project

Selected Publications

• Bayesian sensitivity analysis of bifurcating nonlinear models,
  Becker, W., Worden, K. & Rowson, J. (2012),
  Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, In press.


• Bayesian sensitivity analysis of a nonlinear finite element model,
  Becker, W., Rowson, J., Worden, K., Oakley, J. E., Surace, c. & Gili, P. (2012),
  Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 32, pp. 18-31,
  Available online


• Computational model of an infant brain subjected to periodic motion simplified modelling and bayesian sensitivity analysis,
  Batterbee, D. C., Sims, N. D., Becker, W., Worden, K. & Rowson, J. (2011),
  Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineering, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 225(H11), pp. 1036-1049


• Hold, grasp, clutch or grab: Consumer grip choices during food container opening,
  Rowson, J. & Yoxall, A. (2011),
  Applied Ergonomics, 42(5), pp. 627-633


• Bayesian sensitivity analysis of a model of the aortic valve,
  Becker, W., Rowson, J., Manson, G., Worden, K., Oakley, J. E. & Yoxall, A. (2011),
  Journal of Biomechanics, 44(8), pp. 1499-1506,
  Available online


• How wide do you want the jar?: The effect of diameter for ease of opening for wide-mouth closures,
  Yoxall, A., Langley, J., Janson, R., Lewis, R., Wearn, J., Hayes, S. A. & Bix, L. (2010),
  Packaging Technology and Science, 23(1), pp. 11-18,
  Available online


• Squeezability Part 2: Getting stuff out of a bottle,
  Yoxall, A., Kamat, S. R., Langley, J. & Rowson, J. (2010),
  Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, 224(C6), pp. 1261-1271


• Husband, daughter, son and postman, hot water, knife and towel: Assistive strategies for jar opening,
  Yoxall, A., Langley, J., Musselwhite, C., Rodriguez-Falcon, E. M. & Rowson, J. (2010),
  In Designing Inclusive Interactions, ed. Langdon, P., Clarkson, P. and Robinson, P.,
  London: Springer, pp. 45-54 (ISBN: 978-1-84996-165-3),
  Available online


• Understanding the use of tools for opening packaging,
  Yoxall, A., Langley, J., Luxmoore, J., Janson, R., Taylor, J. C. & Rowson, J. (2010),
  Universal Acess in the Information Society, 9(3), pp. 273-281,
  Available online


• Understanding grip choice and comfort whilst hoovering,
  Kamat, S. R., Yoxall, QA., Craig, C., Carré, M. J. & Rowson, J. (2010),
  Proceedings of World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 66, pp. 1338-1343,
  Available online


• Squeezability Part 1: A pressing issue,
  Blakey, S., Rowson, J., Tomlinson, R. A., Sandham, A. & Yoxall, A. (2009),
  Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, 223(11), pp. 2615-2625


• Modelling capping of 28 mm beverage closures using finite element analysis,
  Rowson, J., Yoxall, A., and Hart, J. H. (2008),
  Packaging Technology and Science, 21(5), pp. 287-296.
  Available online


• Size does matter: Further studies in hand-pack interaction using computer simulation,
  Yoxall, A., Luxmoore, J., Rowson, J., Langley, J., and Janson, R. (2008),
  Packaging Technology and Science, 21(2), pp. 61-72.
  Available online


• Getting to grips with packaging: Using ethnography and computer simulation to understand hand-pack interaction,
  Yoxall, A., Luxmoore, J., Austin, M., Canty, L., Margrave, K. J., Richardson, C. J., Wearn, J., Howard, I. C., and Lewis, R. (2007),
  Packaging Technology and Science, 20(3), pp. 217-229.
  Available online


• Openability: Producing design limits for consumer packaging,
  Yoxall, A., Janson, R., Bradbury, S. R., Langley, J., Wearn, J., and Hayes, S. (2006),
  Packaging Technology and Science, 19(4), pp. 219-225.
  Available online


• The use of uncertainty analysis for the design of container closures,
  Yoxall, A., Langley, J., Janson, R., Wearn, J., and Manson, G. (2006),
  Packaging Technology and Science, 19(3), pp. 139-147.
  Available online


• 'Inclusive' design for containers: Improving openability,
  Langley, J., Janson, R., Wearn, J., and Yoxall, A. (2005),
  Packaging Technology and Science, 18(6), pp. 285-293.
  Available online