Liz Bacon
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Liz Bacon FRSE, CEng, CSci, CITP, FBCS, FIScT, PFHEA, NTF | |
|---|---|
| Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Abertay University | |
| Assumed office May 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Nigel Seaton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 27, 1963 Redhill, Surrey, England |
| Alma mater | Thames Polytechnic (BSc), University of Greenwich (PhD) |
| Profession | Computer scientist, academic leader |
| Awards | Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, National Teaching Fellow, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy |
Liz Bacon (born 27 September 1963) is a British computer scientist and academic leader. She is a Professor of Computer Science and currently serves as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland.[1] A Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Chartered Engineer, Chartered IT Professional and Chartered Scientist; she is known for her work in artificial intelligence, technology-enhanced learning, and STEM diversity advocacy.[2] Bacon has held prominent leadership roles, including past President of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, and was named one of the most influential women in UK IT.[3]
Bacon was born in Redhill, Surrey, and grew up in Kenley.[4] She studied Computer science at Thames Polytechnic (now University of Greenwich), completing an industrial placement at CERN during her degree and graduating in 1986.[4] She earned her PhD in Artificial intelligence from the University of Greenwich in 1993.[4]
Academic career
Before joining Abertay University, Bacon held senior roles at the University of Greenwich, including Professor of Software Engineering and Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor.[5] She joined Abertay in 2018 as a Professor of Computer Science and served as Deputy Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor until she was appointed Principal and Vice-Chancellor in May 2022.[1]
Professional leadership
Bacon is a past President of both:
- BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT (2014–2015)[3]
- EQANIE, the European Quality Assurance Network for Informatics Education[3]
She was the inaugural Chair of the BCS Academy of Computing and chaired the Council of Professors and Heads of Computing (CPHC).[3] She has served as a Trustee and Director of Bletchley Park Trust, and currently sits on the Board of V&A Dundee and JISC’s Audit and Risk Committee.[3]
Honors and recognition
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) (2023)[2]
- Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA)[3]
- National Teaching Fellow (NTF)[3]
- Named 35th Most Influential Woman in UK IT by Computer Weekly (2015)[3]
- Fellowships: FBCS, FIScT, and professional membership of ACM[3]
- Winner of the Services to Science & Technology Award at the Scottish Women’s Awards (2023)[6]