It’s 4 a.m. on a Tuesday, and most of Charlottesville is still asleep, but Daniel James is already up and moving. By 6 a.m., he’ll be standing in front of a room at an ACAC fitness center, microphone on, leading a weight training class through squats and deadlifts. By mid-morning, he’ll be at a chalkboard, walking students through applied linear algebra.
To James, an associate professor and course coordinator in the University of Virginia’s Department of Mathematics, math and weightlifting aren’t as different as they may seem.
“(Weightlifting is) really similar to math, in that you have to continually push yourself just a little bit beyond what you’re comfortable doing to grow and get better,” he said. “It scratches the same itch.”
James, known as “DJ” to his students, grew up outside Birmingham, Alabama, and earned both his bachelor’s and doctorate in mathematics from Auburn University. He spent time at Virginia Commonwealth University before joining the UVA faculty in the fall of 2021.
He almost talked himself out of applying for the UVA job.
Daniel James is known as “DJ” to his students. He has taught at UVA since 2021. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)
“I was like, ‘Oh, it’s such a good university. There’s no way I could possibly ever end up here,” he said. He applied anyway and has been a professor at UVA ever since.
James currently teaches Applied Linear Algebra, a course that draws students pursuing a range of degrees, including statistics, data science and chemistry. He also serves as a course coordinator for Calculus I, which gives him the opportunity to help produce course materials, support exam development and mentor the graduate student instructors who staff the classes.
At the heart of his teaching is a belief in a growth mindset – the idea that abilities are not fixed, but can be developed through effort and persistence.
Each summer, James organizes a teaching workshop for incoming graduate teaching assistants. For several years, has partnered with , a research group in the School of Education and Human Development that studies the observable expression of emotions in educational environments.
Through that collaboration, James has worked to equip teaching assistants with strategies to bring a growth mindset, a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose in their classrooms.
“Those are so important with those first-year courses,” James said, “to help students feel comfortable at UVA in general, to feel comfortable in a math environment in general.”
Savannah Fife witnessed that firsthand. A Class of 2025 graduate who majored in math and economics, Fife took James’ Calculus I course in her first semester at UVA. She went on to spend four years as a learning assistant in the math department, sitting in on class sessions and answering students’ questions.
She remembers James encouraging students to set their own benchmarks rather than measuring themselves against their peers. “He really encouraged us not to share scores with each other and to not make it all about exams,” Fife said.
Fife said James’ dedication to students never wavered.
“He puts so much thought into how he writes every single lesson, and he tracks every question that students have in order to fix the lesson for the next year,” she said. “He’s incredibly dedicated and really wants to see his students succeed.”
