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Abertay appoints new Head of Computing and Creative technologies

The University of Abertay Dundee has recruited one of Scotland’s leading academics in human-computer interaction and technology-supported learning as the new Head of its School of Computing and Creative Technologies (CCT).

NEWS RELEASE

22 August 2005

NOTE TO PICTURE EDITORS: FULL-SIZE IMAGES OF THE ATTACHED ARE AVAILABLE FROM KEVIN COE ON THE CONTACT NUMBERS BELOW.

Professor Lachlan MacKinnon (age 48), who also receives the title of Professor of Information and Knowledge Engineering, was until last month Reader in Computer Science and Director of Postgraduate Study at the School of Mathematical and Computer Science at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.

Taking up his new post at Abertay this month, Professor MacKinnon is looking forward to developing further the University's research and teaching in ways that directly support economic growth and cultural development.

He said: "I'm especially interested in how computing and creative technologies can help develop the new industries based on small and medium enterprises that will exploit Scotland's native strengths skills and strengths in this area.

"Creative technologies are those that develop across the boundaries between science, engineering and arts. They are sophisticated, high-quality systems based on sound engineering principles but associated with the development of creative content - words, pictures, animations, music and so on.

"I believe Abertay has the greatest potential of any university in Scotland to help this business sector grow. It has shown in initiatives such as Embreonix, Dare to be Digital, and the creation of the School of CCT itself three years ago, that it has the flexibility and vision to achieve this potential.

"Above all, the University understands that traditional research and teaching models need to be much more concerned with how they impact on and benefit society."

Professor Bernard King, principal and vice-chancellor of Abertay University, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Lachlan to the Abertay community. His unique combination of social and industrial experience coupled with outstanding academic track record will help us to add even more value to the Scottish higher education sector and enhance competitiveness and growth in Scotland.

"He cares passionately about success, and understands how to promote innovation through net new knowledge creation and exploitation of the boundaries between academic disciplines - values that Abertay as a whole is firmly committed to. I am sure that Lachlan will prove to be a key part of our continuing development."

Professor MacKinnon, who originates from Skye, is well-qualified to think in terms of both the social and economic impacts of his work, having started his working life in the health service in Dundee, then spending fifteen years in health and social services in various parts of Scotland and England.

After a brief sojourn in international insurance, he switched career into computer Science in the late 1980s. In the past seventeen years Professor MacKinnon has been an undergraduate student, research associate, postgraduate student, lecturer and reader in computer science at Heriot-Watt University, and has also gained industrial experience with firms in Heidelberg and Aberdeen.

Professor MacKinnon's research interests are in information and knowledge engineering, especially the mechanisms for human interaction, design and learning. He has published extensively in this area, worked on and chaired national and international conferences in human computer interaction, database technology and eLearning, and led research projects in the UK and Europe on workplace and lifelong learning, distributed software engineering and next generation mobile technologies.

His teaching interests have focused on multimedia, HCI, information systems, data and knowledge bases, and the underpinning technologies. For the past eight years he has also been responsible for a successful and growing postgraduate studies program in Computer Science at Heriot-Watt University.

A rugby player and fan all his days, Professor MacKinnon continues to be active in sport, playing 'relatively poor' squash occasionally and 'very poor' golf avidly. He is married to Sheena, who is the headteacher of Mortlach Primary School in Dufftown in Moray.

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Media enquiries: Kevin Coe

T: 01382 561 571 M: 07808 713 395

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Kevin Coe

Communications

University of Abertay Dundee

T: 01382 308452 M: 07808 713395

E: k.coe@abertay.ac.uk

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