Nigel Davies, Co-director of the Data Science Institute and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, has been appointed into the role of Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development) for a period of 8 months following a competitive selection process.

This is a wide-ranging role that includes oversight of the implementation of a number of major academic projects as well as responsibilities relating to academic planning, probations and promotions, and student experience around sport and colleges.

A graduate of Lancaster, he has held visiting positions in both academic and commercial organisations including Sony Electronics, Google Research, ETH Zurich, CMU and USI. His research is in the area of pervasive computing including systems support for new forms of data capture and interaction and is characterised by an experimental approach involving large-scale deployments of novel systems with end-users. Most recently he has focused on the use of new technology to support human memory augmentation.