About this event
Speaker: Dr. James (Jim) Hambleton, Associate Professor, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge
Terramechanics and geomechanics are rarely considered early career paths. This talk traces the speaker’s journey from structural engineering to terramechanics, highlighting connections between fields and key project insights. It also details the path to securing an NSF CAREER Award and offers guidance for aspiring engineers and researchers. Terramechanics, focused on terrain–machine interaction, is vital for advancing autonomous systems in construction, mining, agriculture, and mobility.
Hosted by
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Guest speaker
James Hambleton Associate Professor @ University of CambridgeG
Dr Hambleton was educated at the University of Minnesota, where he completed three degrees (BCE, MS, and PhD) in Civil Engineering. He has broad interests in mechanics, especially in plasticity and soil mechanics. His academic career has taken him around the world, from the US to Australia to England. He has received various awards for research and teaching, including most recently a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2025 from US President Joe Biden.
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Team member
Lutz Richter Vice PresidentT
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Team member
Varsha SwamyT
Varsha S. Swamy is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, under the guidance of Dr. Corina Sandu and Dr. Alba Yerro-Colom. Her Ph.D. research deals with the numerical modeling and experimental validation of tire-mud interactions, supported by the Automotive Research Center, a university-based U.S. Army Center of Excellence for modeling and simulation of military and civilian ground systems. Additionally, she received the SMART scholarship from the DoD and works with U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
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Guest speaker
Alex KeenG
Alex graduated in agricultural engineering from Newcastle University in 1973. As a student he developed an interest in environmental issues and in systems analysis and modelling. He completed an MPhil at Reading University in 1978, a systems analysis investigating nutrient recycling in an agricultural production system. Alex organized the 2003 ISTVS European conference held in the UK. He completed a PhD in off-road vehicle dynamics at Cranfield in 2005. After retiring in 2010, as a senior lecturer in engineering at Harper Adams University, he took some short-term teaching contracts, including at the Asian Institute of Technology and at Kaziranga University in Assam. More recently HE have helped develop the digital services of the ISTVS and considered the issue of climate change and off-road vehicles.
ISTVS
ISTVS is an international organization that focuses on advancing the knowledge in terrain vehicle systems for improvements in engineering practice and innovation. They promote the transfer of advanced knowledge to the user for the benefit of society in...
