Twenty Years Of Computing

Twenty Years Of Computing

Academics from around New Zealand have today gathered in Auckland to mark AUT Professor Philip Sallis' 20-year contribution to the disciplines of Computing and Information Sciences.

Professor Mark Apperley, Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Mathematics at Waikato University, says 20 years as a professor within computing disciplines means Professor Sallis has joined a very select group in New Zealand.

"He has made a significant contribution towards encouraging the computing disciplines, both as an educator and through influential roles he has held. I remember his time as President of the New Zealand Computer Society as a very productive time for the society," says Professor Apperley.

Professor Sallis, who became the University of Otago's youngest professor when he was appointed Foundation Chair for the Department of Information Science at age 36, is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of AUT University, a position he has held since 2003.

"When I was first appointed a professor twenty years ago, I wondered what holding the title would actually mean. It has been about sharing in the leadership of the universities I have worked for and facilitating other people to develop in their roles."

Throughout his academic career, Professor Sallis has gained a reputation for leadership in curriculum design and innovative programme delivery for Computer and Information Sciences.

"Mature as these disciplines might appear today, my career began at a time when Computer Science degrees were only just emerging and were predominantly outgrowths from mathematics except for a few data-processing oriented courses."

"Change has been a constant in my field and I have thrived on that challenge. My career since 1972 has spanned a lot of the development of computational sciences. In education and research I have worked across scientific computing, computing in humanities and I have also had significant involvement with industry-based activity."

As Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sallis developed AUT's research infrastructure in preparation for its university accreditation and was instrumental in establishing the business incubator AUT Technology Park.

Professor Sallis says his decision to come to AUT in 1999 was driven the challenge of securing University classification and his belief the organisation had a significant contribution to make to New Zealand's tertiary landscape.

"I haven't been disappointed."

Before coming to AUT, Professor Sallis held the Foundation Chair for the University of Otago's Department of Information Science for 13 years. He is credited with building the department's research income to a point where it was greater than any other single department other than Medicine.

"He really put Information Sciences on the map at the University of Otago and has had a strong influence on computing education in a much wider setting," says Professor Apperley.

Professor Sallis' career in teaching and education has also spanned positions with London's Metropolitan University and The City University, and Sydney's University of Technology.

He has also held visiting research positions in the UK, Hong Kong and the USA, still holding a visiting research professorship at the University of California Santa Barbara, where he continues his research in digital imaging, simulation and system performance measurement. 

 
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