■ Dr Hall received a BSc with honors ACM Pubs Board (1999–2005), pro- (Mathematics, University of Southamp- gramme co-chair ACM Multimedia’ 96, ton, 1974), PhD (Pure Mathematics, conference co-chair ACM Hypertext’ 97, University of Southampton, 1977) and conference co-chair ACM Multimedia’ 98, MSc (Computer Science, City University, chair WWW2006, executive committee London, 1986). Lecturer, Oxford Poly- SIGMULTIMEDIA (1998–2003), member technic (1977), Lecturer, LSU College of SIGWEB and SIGMM.

Higher Education (1978), Lecturer (1984), President BCS (2003–2004), Senior Senior Lecturer (1990), Professor (1994) VP Royal Academy of Engineering (2005- Computer Science, Head of School (2002- present), FREng (2000), FBCS (1996), 2007), University of Southampton. FIEE (1997), FCGI (2002), CEng (1990).

Dr Hall’s team developed the well- VP Publications BCS (1998–2002), mem-known Microcosm open hypermedia ber of IW3C2 (1997–present), member system, which was patented and spun-off of British Library Board (2007-present), into a commercial company (1994), and member of several editorial boards and won an ITEA award (1995) and a BCS IT numerous programme committees, non-award (1996). Current research interests executive director of several companies. include web science, the semantic web, and digital libraries. Dr Hall has published over 350 journal and conference papers, which can be found at http://www.ecs. soton.ac.uk/~wh/

One of the founding directors of the

Web Science Research Initiative, a joint venture between the University of Southampton and MIT, launched in 2006. MIT

Research Affiliate (2007-present).

CBE in Queen’s Birthday Honours list

(2000), EPSRC Senior Research Fellow

(1996–2002), member of UK Technology Foresight Panel (1995– 98), member of the council of EPSRC (1997–2002), member of executive of UK Computing Research

Committee (2002–present), member of

UK Prime Minister’s Council of Science and Technology (2004-present), member of Scientific Council of the European

Research Council (2005–present), chair of UKCRC Grand Challenges Committee (2005–present). Honorary DSc (Oxford Brookes University, 2002, University of Glamorgan, 2005, University of Pretoria,

2007), Honorary Fellow University of Cardiff (2004). Anita Borg Award for Technical

Leadership (2006).

22 May 2008/Vol. 51, No. 5 COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM

STATEMENT

■ I am extremely honoured to have been I have actively worked throughout my asked to stand for election as President career to increase diversity in computing. of the ACM. I have been a member of the I chair the BCS Women’s Forum and the ACM for most of my professional career, Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity and I am an active member of SIGWEB Committee, and have been on several and SIGMM. I served on the ACM Publi- government working parties in this area. cations Board for six years and on ACM As ACM Vice President I have taken an Council for 2 years before being elected active role in the development of ACM-W ACM Vice President in 2006. to give it a greater voice in the organisa-

ACM is increasingly well established as tion, and I am co-chairing the Presidential the premiere computing society. Member- Committee on Gender Diversity. I am very ship has grown steadily over the past five keen to see this work come to fruition and years, making ACM the largest computing to establish diversity as a fundamental society in the world. Our Digital Library part of the ACM agenda. is regarded as the best in computing. I am committed to continue the initia-We are publishing more journals and tive ACM started three years ago to running more conferences than at any better serve the practitioners community. point in ACM’s history, and taking the Queue magazine is a part of this, as is the lead on many important policy issues in new Professions Board. The successful the computing field. But to reach our full future of the ACM depends on its ability potential, there are three things I believe to support the academic and research the ACM must do: 1) really grasp what communities around the world, to reach it means to be an international society; communities typically underrepresented in 2) take the lead in terms of increasing computing, and to do something unique diversity in all aspects of our field; and for practitioners both within and outside 3) provide something new and unique for ACM.

ACM practitioners. The revitalization of CACM is a crucial

While ACM’s impact outside the US is element in the process of increasing our increasing, I believe we must do more in international presence and expanding the order to become the leading computing service we provide to all of our communi-society worldwide. We need to develop ties. It is critical that the next President further our initiatives in India and China, works to ensure the success of this initia-rethink our relationship with Europe and tive. I believe my track record in academic explore how to be more relevant in South publishing, my leadership experience America and other parts of the world. As a within the UK and Europe, and my knowl-European, a Past President of the BCS and edge of, and experience in, ACM can a researcher with many international con- benefit both ACM and the community. nections, I believe I have the background, experience, and perspective to help lead