Welsh Version

Appointments

Sept 2019 - : Welsh Medium Lecturer at Cardiff University’s School of Mathematics

2017 - 2019 : Welsh Medium Teaching Associate at Cardiff University’s School of Mathematics

  • Leading modules, taking tutorials, example classes, and labs
  • Translation of educational resources
  • Welsh provision at Maths Support
  • Supporting FMSP outreach events

Education

Oct 2014 - Nov 2018: PhD in Applied Stochastic Modelling, Cardiff University.

  • Supervisors: Prof. Paul Harper & Dr. Vincent Knight
  • Jointly funded by ABUHB & Cardiff University.
  • Modelling of patient flows & working at the interface of a healthcare organisation.
  • Modelling of deadlock in queueing networks using Markov models and discrete event simulation.
  • Development of an internationally used open source software package, Ciw.
  • Title: Modelling Deadlock in Queueing Systems.

Oct 2013 - Oct 2014: MSc Operational Research and Applied Statistics, Cardiff University. Distinction.

  • Taught topics include: queueing theory, game theory, statistical techniques, time series, mathematical programming, heuristics.
  • Completed dissertation at the University of Twente on an Erasmus placement.
  • Dissertation title: Optimising surgery schedules in order to increase operating room utilisation and level beds in the PACU and holding area.

Sept 2010 - May 2013: BSc Mathematics, Aberystwyth University. First Class Honours.

Publications

Book

  • 2022: Applied Mathematics with Open-Source Software: Operational Research Problems with Python and R
              Knight, VA, & Palmer GI. CRC Press., ISBN: 9780367348687

Funding & Projects

Research Interests

  • Applied operational research, in particular healthcare and public services,
  • Stochastic simulation,
  • Stochastic modelling, graph theory, and queueing theory.

Awards

  • Gwerddon Award for the best article in Gwerddon 2021-2023 - Rhaglennu llinol amlamcan i ganfod y tîm Pokémon gorau
  • Award for Best Value (value-based principles) Abstract at The National PROMs Annual Research Conference 2022 - PROMs-Based Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Evaluate Waiting List Prioritisation Schemes Against Prudent Healthcare Principles, with Dr Robert Palmer.
  • Part of the 2021 team that won the Lyn Thomas Impact Medal for modelling work with the NHS.
  • 2018 Winner of the OR Society Doctoral Award for “Most Distinguished Body of Research leading to the Award of a Doctorate in the field of OR” - Modelling Deadlock in Queueing Systems
  • 2016 Winner of best poster at the Cynhadledd Wyddonol y CCC, Aberystwyth - Llwyrglo yn Rhwydweithiau Ciwio

Learning & Teaching

  • Deputy Director of Learning and Teaching for the Cardiff School of Mathematics (2022-)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • Delivery of example classes, lectures and tutorials (see Teaching).
  • Leading computer lab sessions (Python, Simul8, LaTeX, Vensim, Excel) for undergraduate & masters students.
  • Mathematics & Statistics support tutor.
  • Translation of pedagogic material from English to Welsh.
  • Production of new learning materials in both English and Welsh.
  • Key participant in innovative international development initiative leading active learning sessions at the University of Namibia (under the Cardiff University Phoenix Project).
  • Design and delivery of a number of workshops in Indonesia including simulation modelling, queueing theory, and optimisation.
  • Supervision of Summer project and Nuffield placement students.

Community Building & Organisation

Skills

Software: Python, LaTeX, Excel, SPSS, R, Simul8, version control with Git and GitHub.

Languages: English (Fluent), Welsh (Fluent).

Software Development

  • Main developer and maintainer of Ciw (ciw.readthedocs.io), a Python library for simulating queueing networks.
  • Experience of modern software development techniques: version control, automated testing, continuous integration.
  • Contributor to the open source project Axelrod.

Courses Attended

  • IMA Induction Course for New Lecturers in the Mathematical Sciences - Cambridge University 2019
  • The OR Society - Early Career Researcher Workshop - Lancaster University 2018
  • Welsh for Adults - Gloywi Iaith CDH001 (Grammar) - Cardiff University 2017/18 (Welsh medium)
  • Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s Teaching Skills Course - Aberystwyth University 2017 (Welsh Medium)
  • CHOIR Healthcare Operations Research PhD Summer School - University of Twente 2017
  • NATCOR Forecasting & Predictive Analysis - Lancaster University 2016
  • NATCOR Convex Optimisation - Edinburgh University 2016
  • Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s Research Skills Programme - Lampeter University 2015 (Welsh Medium)
  • NATCOR Combinatorial Optimisation - Southampton University 2015
  • NATCOR Simulation - Loughborough University 2015
  • Data Mining - Cardiff University 2015
  • NATCOR Stochastic Modelling - Lancaster University 2015

Presentations

Bilingual speaker. International experience. Technical topics. Diverse audiences including general public, academics, healthcare practitioners, and member of the Welsh government.

  • Sept 2023 - PyCon UK 2023, Cardiff - Multi-Objective Linear Programming to find the Best Pokémon Team
  • July 2023 - ORAHS 2023, Graz - Evaluating Heterogeneous Ambulance Fleet Allocations in Jakarta
  • June 2022 - The National PROMs Annual Research Conference 2022 - PROMs-Based Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Evaluate Waiting List Prioritisation Schemes Against Prudent Healthcare Principles
  • Feb 2021 - OR Society Beale Lecture 2021 - Open-Source Simulation with Ciw
  • Nov 2020 - Wales Academic Symposium of Language Technologies 2020 - Mewnblaniadau Geiriau ar gyfer y Gymraeg
  • Aug 2019 - Second ABCi Innovation Day, Cardiff Bay - Using Python for Healthcare Modelling
  • Sept 2018 - OR60, Lancaster - Poster: Ciw: An open source discrete event simulation library
  • June 2018 - Cynhadledd Wyddonol y CCC, Aberystwyth - Dulliau ac Offerynnau ar gyfer Ymchwil Ailgynhyrchiadwy
  • April 2018 - School of Mathematics 3MT, Cardiff (2nd place)
  • Mar 2018 - STEM for Britain, London - Poster: Modelling Deadlock in Open Restricted Queueing Networks
  • Feb 2018 - PyCon Namibia, Windhoek - Agent Based Modelling with Python
  • Oct 2017 - PyCon UK, Cardiff - Python for Operational Research in Healthcare
  • April 2017 - IMA and OR Society Conference on Mathematics of Operational Research, Aston - Queueing networks, Deadlock and Healthcare
  • Feb 2017 - PyCon Namibia, Windhoek - Producing Pretty Plots in Python
  • Sept 2016 - PyCon UK, Cardiff - Queueing and Python: pip install ciw
  • May 2016 - CORS 2016, Banff - Deadlock in Queueing Networks
  • May 2016 - Cynhadledd Wyddonol y CCC, Aberystwyth - Poster: Llwyrglo yn Rhwydweithiau Ciwio (Winner best poster)
  • Mar 2016 - 8th IMA International Conference on Quantitative Modelling in the Management of Health and Social Care, London - Using Queueing Networks Modelling to Assess the Impact of the OPICP
  • Jan 2016 - PyCon Namibia, Windhoek - Simulating Queues with Ciw
  • Sept 2015 - Young OR 19, Aston - Queueing Networks for a Healthcare System, Deadlocking & Reinforcement Learning
  • July 2015 - EURO 2015, Glasgow - Queueing Networks for a Healthcare System Deadlocking, Reinforcement Learning & Workforce Planning
  • Feb 2015 - Python Namibia 2015, Windhoek - Playing with Reinforcement Learning in Python

Media Appearances

  • 06/11/2020 - Yfory Newydd - BBC Radio Cymru
  • 08/07/2022 - Talk Python Podcast - (Applied mathematics with Python)
  • 04/01/2023 - Rhaglen Aled Hughes (Pokémon a’r NHS) - BBC Radio Cymru

Contact

Email: palmergi1@cardiff.ac.uk

References available on request.